More green shoots

posted by John Winn


With Tony having whetted our appetites via a recent posting in which he expressed his pleasure at the publication of county Second XI, Minor Counties and some university fixtures it is time for me to disembark from my nostalgic trip round Hampshire grounds and turn to another harbinger of the new season, the publication of league fixtures. Almost all of those in Yorkshire and the North East are now available, indeed the only ones I have not been able to find in the region are those for the York Vale league and this may be because of a problem with the website.
With very few exceptions leagues have settled on the traditional starting date of the third Saturday in April, which this year falls a week after Easter. Be ready therefore for a long list of those who will hear the call of play on

April 18th.
Aire Wharfe, Leeds and Wetherby, Bradford, Dales Council, Langbaurgh, NYSD, Huddersfield, Nidderdale, North East Premier Leaague, Durham Cricket League, Pontefract, York Senior, Craven, Yorkshire Premier South, Halifax, Darlington and District and South Yorkshire.

April 25th
 Bradford Mutual Sunday School, Yorkshire Premier North and Scarborough Beckett.

A major change which many of you may have spotted is  the change of name for the Wetherby League which in its centenary year becomes the Leeds and Wetherby League, a change which reflects the transfer of a number of its former clubs to the York and District. Staying behind are

Div 1: Crossgates, Sicklinhall, Green Hammerton, Barwick in Elmet, Kippax, Scarcroft.

Div 2: Headinley Bramhope, Crompark, Scholes, Kippax II, Thorner Mexborough, Meanwood.

Div 3 Barwick in Elmet II, Green Harwood II, Meanwood II, Sherburn Eversley, Scarcroft II, Crossgates II,

Clubs will play each other four times.

There is a change in the Langbaurgh League where Castleton have joined from the Eskdale. I played on this ground in the late 1960s but have not watched cricket there.

Finally the draw for the Village Cup has been published with encouragingly the number of entries being the highest for ten years. I usually try to watch a match at this stage of the competition and have pencilled in a game not from home at Alne where visitors will be East Yorkshire outfit Patrington, a team I have not seen before.