Pennine Cricket Conference.

The World T20 qualifying competition finished on Saturday when the final Final finally featured the previously unbeaten Afghanistan and Ireland, who after losing their first match had posted eight straight victories. The match was won by Ireland by five wickets which made them overall tournament winners and places them in a group with Australia and West Indies in the finals. Afghanistan will be in group A with England and India.
Enough of that, the first class English season begins on Saturday and disappointing though it is that no matches are being played further north than Cambridge, it is nevertheless a landmark day for the pcw, five more days and the waiting will be over.As I write this blue sky is everywhere I look and we are promised this weather will continue. I enjoyed a tweet from the BBC's Kevin Howells last week in which he suggested that in the near future the English season might begin in March and end in October with a mid season break in June and July for rain.
There is consolation for the lack of cricket in the north on Saturday however, in the form of the 8th Pennine Cricket Conference which will be held at Huddersfield University from 10:00am to 4:00pm, admission free.Topics include Cricket in Cleckheaton, Cricket in Oldham and Cricket Broadcasting. This presents an opportunity for enthusiasts to meet up prior to the start of the County Championship a week on Thursday with Yorkshire taking on Kent at Headingley, now that is a landmark day!