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Welcome to the Stainborough Cricket Club Website

SCC Spectators

Founded in 1859 and over 165 years old, Stainborough Cricket Club is everything a village cricket club should be – a beautiful setting, great facilities, spectacular views, competitive cricket and a thriving and bustling social scene. Come and visit us and take a look round – take the road through the Strafford Arms car park to the right of the pub to our ground. There's plenty of parking next to our pavilion.

You are very welcome at weekends during the season, when the licensed bar will be open from lunchtime through into the evening. We look forward to seeing you!

Stainborough Cricket Club is kindly supported by main club sponsor The Fairway. Based in Dodworth, the Fairway has quality bar, restaurant, accommodation and conference facilities, and is renowned for its excellent wedding service. For further details call 08712 002289 or email barnsley@sleeptighthotels.com.

Stainborough Cricket Club welcomes members and players, their families and guests to the club, but we ask that you behave appropriately whilst on club premises. Please take a moment to View or Download our Code of Conduct here, and please respect it whilst you are at the club. Thank you.

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Recent News

Glasshoughton Victory

Another good win for Stainborough on Saturday 14th September at home to Glasshoughton. Stainborough had to field a weakened side due to a wedding, with evergreen veterans Shane Abson and Phil Archer making rare appearances. Glasshoughton batted first after being put in, and quickly lost wickets as they subsided to 90 for 7 in the face of good bowling from Ethan Sefton (3-38), Josh Abson (3-34) and J Butterfield (2-33). A mini recovery followed as the tail-enders took the score to 140-9 at the close. In reply, Stainborough made short work of the target, reaching 143-4 after 27 overs. Top scorers were Andy Beck with an undefeated 52, Dan Baker with 30 and Lewis Shepherd with 21. A good 15 point win which goes a long way towards securing our position in division 1 for the 2025 season. Scorecard.

Rained Off

A disappointing end to the game on Saturday 7th September at home to Normanton. Normanton batted first and posted a challenging score of 242-7 before rain interrupted. Stainborough eventually started well in their reply to reach 42 for the loss of 1 wicket, but the rain intervened and the game had to be abandoned. Scorecard.

Newton Nobbled

A second successive win for our men's team on Saturday 31st August at Newton Hill. Batting first, Newton Hill were bowled out for 159 after facing good bowling from Lewis Shepherd (5-65) and Josh Abson (4-35). In reply, George Tyas hit 62 and Josh Abson 50 as we knocked off the runs for the loss of just 4 wickets to gain another 16 point win. Scorecard.

Bank Holiday Win

A great home win on Bank Holiday Monday 26th August, in a match against Rossington Main which was held over from the season start because of bad weather in April. Stainborough posted 169 all out, with a top score of 55 from Liam McFadyen. In reply, Rossington struggled throughout against excellent bowling from Josh Abson, with 7 wickets for just 10 runs in an 11 over spell. Eventually they were bowled out for 109 to complete a welcome win for Stainborough. Scorecard.

Kippax Capitulation

A heavy defeat against Kippax at Stainborough on Saturday 24th August. Kippax posted a mammoth 242 for 9 in their 46 overs, and Stainborough capitulated to 117 all out in the chase. Scorecard.

Welcome Win

A welcome win for our men away at Thurnscoe on Saturday 17th August. After being asked to bat by Thurnscoe, our lads posted a very healthy 233 for 6, with a solid 53 from Andy Beck and an agonising 99 not out by Josh Abson. In reply, a great 6-56 bowling performance by Ethan Sefton saw Thurnscoe bowled out for 186, to complete a good 16 point victory for Stainborough. Scorecard.

Sandford Norton

We are sad to announce that former player Sandford Norton passed away suddenly on Thursday 1st August. Sandford's funeral will be held at 2:30pm on Friday 23rd August, at Grenoside Crematorium, Sheffield S35 8RZ. Sandford's family has asked that in lieu of flowers, donations are made on the day in Sandford's memory to a couple of charities, which they will choose in the next couple of days. We'll post more details of the charities when available, but in the meantime sincere condolences to all Sandford's family and friends, RIP Sandford.

Bad Trot Continues

Another heavy defeat for our men at home to Pledwick. Things looked OK for Stainborough when they had Pledwick at 54-5, but two huge partnerships allowed them to post 259-9 from their 46 overs. In reply, Stainborough started reasonably well to reach 72-2, but the rest of the order then subsided quickly and we were bowled out for 91. Scorecard.

And That's a Wrap

A big thank you to all the parents who registered their kids on to the Stainborough Cricket Club 🏰 All Stars 🌟 programme. To say it was our first All Stars, we had a great response with the programme hitting the maximum capacity of 16 kids. The club is pleased to announce that Stainborough CC will be participating in All Stars 2025, so please keep an eye out for an announcement in early 2025. Finally, a big thank you to Perry and Ben for their help over the 8 weeks. The success and survival of a cricket club starts with Grass Roots cricket🏏🏰🏰🏰🏰

Calder Carnage

A heavy defeat for our men at Calder Grove, after getting bowled out for just 24 chasing 280 to win. Full report to follow..."

Horbury Victory

Saturday 20th July saw the visit of mid-table Horbury Bridge, and after beating them on the first game of the season and with a strong line up Stainborough were confident of a positive result. Horbury won the toss and elected to field first with Tyas and Youel opening the batting. Arslan bowled well as Stainborough got off to a steady start with Tyas despatching a few loose balls from Waring. Youel struggled a little to get the ball away and was bowled by Arslan with a shot of frustration for 2. Tyas went cheaply afterwards, leaving Beck and Raw at the crease, but both Beck and Raw fell cheaply leaving Stainborough in what looked like trouble at 36/4. The tide seemed to change quickly as Brown and Abson scored freely, with Stainborough reaching 100 off 25 overs. When Brown fell to Shahid for a speedy 48, Stainborough were 130-5 and looked to be in the driving seat with a long batting line-up. McFadyen batted positively before an unlucky dismissal to a ball that did not bounce. Abson fell shortly after for a well-earned 55 off 59 balls, but Baker and Shepherd continued the positive batting with Shepherd scoring 46 off 28 before bottling a 50. Stainborough finished with 213 which looked to be a good score on what was a variable wicket and with the clouds coming in for the second innings. Shepherd and Sefton opened the bowling with Shepherd bowling accurately, picking up the first wicket of Amjad for a golden duck. Tyas dropped Terry cheaply which appeared to look costly as Horbury’s captain scored quickly. Arslan also looked to be scoring quickly until Shepherd got a vital LBW leaving Horbury 45/2. Shepherd worked hard and continued to bowl accurately for his 14 overs. He battled away with an excellent spell for the team. Abson got the important wicket of Terry to leave the visitors 76-4, and they then struggled to keep with the run rate - when it began to rain heavily, they were still around 70 runs short with 8 overs remaining. After a break of around half an hour, the rain stopped and Stainborough struck early again with Tyas catching at mid on off a full Baker ball. Baker excellently bowled Saleem the next ball leaving the visitors 150-7. At this point the target seemed a long way away for the visitors. A few boundaries were conceded by Stainborough but it looked to be too late for Horbury as Baker took 2 more wickets leaving him with excellent figures of 5-20. Sefton picked up the last wicket with another excellent catch from McFadyen leaving him with 3 catches in an excellent fielding performance. A fantastic team performance showed again from Stainborough and a vital win for the team to take them off the bottom of the table. Big shout-out to Kai Shepherd again, stepping in at the last minute and running his socks off for the team.

All Stars 26th July 2024

Looking forward to seeing you all tonight. Tonight is week 8 and sadly it is the last one for the year but we will make the most of it and have lots of fun in the sunshine. Stainborough CC will be continuing All Stars in 2025 so any parent who would like to join next year please feel free to bring your child down tonight (free of charge) and see what All Stars 🌟 is all about. See you all at 6pm 🏏🏰

Oulton Defeated

Saturday 6th July saw a visit from division 1 strugglers Oulton CC. Captain Josh Abson won the toss and elected to field first with the overhead conditions looking favourable. Shepherd struck early on, dismissing Krishnarao in the 5th over. After this, Stainborough’s bowlers struggled to find a breakthrough. When the heavens opened the visitors were 50-1. After a half an hour break, the rain passed and Sefton had Oulton’s opening batter caught behind from the first ball after the rain. Sefton struck again in his next over and this seemed to signal a change in momentum to Stainborough. Abson bowled accurately, in good areas and took the key wicket of Shanghavi who was scoring quickly (31 off 41). This left the visitors 92/4. Wickets fell quickly after this as Stainborough restricted Oulton to just 102. Banaras supported Abson well, picking up 2 wickets while Abson took the rabbits and finished with 5 wickets for the second week running. After a quick turnaround Brown and Youel opened the batting and Brown fell early, caught behind for just 1 in the 3rd over. Pennington bowled a tight line for the visitors and dismissed Tyas, Youel and Beck cheaply. Abson came to the crease with Stainborough 16-3 and needing to find a partnership. Abson batted well, waiting for the bad ball and putting Stainborough in the driving seat for victory. Abson would have added to his 5 wicket hall earlier in the match and may have had 50 except for some dubious scoring. Abson struggled with an injury and after a 20 minute massage from Akram it was decided he would be better to have a runner. Abson was dropped in the 40’s and this seemed to be the little bit of luck needed to lead Stainborough to victory. Abson fell however shortly after this, leaving Stainborough 77-6 with the game in the balance. L Shepherd batted sensibly, waiting for the bad ball before unnecessarily skying a Winn full ball to long off. This left Stainborough 90-8 looking as though we may run out of men in the shed to see us home. Plant supported Banaras excellently, blocking out an over of difficult bowling. Banaras waited patiently for a bad ball and dispatched a huge six into the leg side which levelled the scores. 2 balls later with the field in Banaras hit the ball over mid on’s head. After a little confusion where Banaras and Plant forgot to run and instead decided to embrace in the middle, they completed the single and took Stainborough to victory. An excellent win for Stainborough, taking them off the bottom of the table and up to 8th with a vital game next Saturday away to bottom of the table Rossington. Special recognition to Abson for an excellent captain's performance and also to Kai Shepherd for stepping in, fielding well and being a great help to the team.

Stainborough Double!

Stainborough men had a great outing on Saturday 29th June, beating Glasshoughton away on a tricky wicket. After winning the toss and choosing to bowl, Stainborough made light work of Glasshoughton's line up despite starting with 9 fielders. We bowled them out for a mere 100, chief wicket takers being Josh Abson with 5 and Lewis Shepherd taking 4 in a great 14 over spell. In response Stainborough lost an early wicket and things looked difficult, but Danny Baker and George Tyas put on 40 before George fell for 17. Dan and captain Josh made light work of the total, dispatching the bowlers to all parts to bring the score to 85 before Dan was sent to the showers. The remaining total was casually swatted away by Josh and Andy ‘Lurpak’ Beck to knock the target off in only 20 overs, with Abson scoring 39 not out and Beck 13 not out. A massive win for the lads this weekend. The next morning Stainborough ladies hosted Worsbrough ladies and emerged victorious. Batting first, Stainborough ladies cantered to a challenging 310 - chief run scorer being Leah ‘Stokesy’ White in a typical six fest. In the second innings Stainborough defended their total well, with great bowling from Charlotte Plant, Beth Baker, Sophie Crossley and Helen White. There was resistance as Worsbrough's opening 2 pairs bludgeoned our bowlers around, but step in Sophie Crossley with 2 superb run outs, one that Jos Buttler would be proud of. Worsborough finished on 265, 45 away from our ladies total, for a big win for our girls. A great weekend for all and well done both men and ladies.

Wet Washout

On Saturday 15th June our men's team's game against Newton Hill at Stainborough was washed out due to rain. On a frustrating day, it rained most of the morning, then the sun came out, then it rained again, then the sun came out, and so it went on. A huge thank you to match ball sponsors BJM Plumbing and Heating, your support is much appreciated.

Match Abandoned

Sadly, our scheduled match against Thurnscoe on Saturday 1st June had to be abandoned because no umpires were available.

Narrow Defeat

A narrow defeat for our men's team in a tight low scoring match away at Pledwick. After being put in, we had a few wobbles but Paul Brown, Andy Beck, Josh Abson and Shahid Akram made reasonable progress to take the score to 104-4 when Shahid was out. A total collapse then followed, with the last 6 wickets falling for just 12 more runs with the last 4 batters departing without scoring. We finished on 116, but this would prove to be a challenge for the Pledwick batters, who lost wickets regularly in their reply. At 71-6 it looked like we may force a win, but eventually Pledwick overhauled the target with just 2 wickets to space. Pick of the bowlers was Ethan Sefton with 4-40. It was one of those games where 20 more runs could have seen a very different result. You can see the scorecard here.

All Stars Cricket

Wow! Less than a week after we went live, our All Stars Cricket programme is now completely full. A big thank you to all the parents who have their child booked on. We are debating whether to open the programme up for another 4 places, taking the total number to 16 places. Please get in touch if you would like your child to join and we can then make the call to increase the numbers. All Stars Cricket provides boys and girls from 5-8 years old with active non-stop fun. The activity and game based programme is suitable for all skill levels, providing your child with the foundations to begin a lifelong love of physical activity, cricket and the outdoors, while making friends in a beautiful, safe and enjoyable environment. The cost is £30 per child for 8 one hour sessions, at Stainborough on Friday evenings from 6pm to 7pm, starting on Friday 24th May. We look forward to seeing you and your child up at Stainborough in May.

Calder Carnage

A comprehensive defeat was the outcome in our first 2024 season home game against Calder Grove. Our visitors won the toss and chose to bat first, and the Stainborough bowlers set about their task. We bowled reasonably well against some good batting, but the Calder batters stuck to their task and eventually posted 181 all out. Pick of our bowlers was Kamran Banaras with 4-25, ably supported by spinner Joe McLee with 3-64 and Ethan Sefton with 2-48. The total was gettable, and at tea there was no hint of what was to come. Our innings however couldn't have started worse, with top order batters Paul Brown, Josh Abson, Andy Beck and Shahid Akram all departing in the first 7 overs without scoring. We were reeling on 8 for 4, and a recovery was needed, but it didn't come. The carnage continued as George Tyas left for 6, then another three ducks followed to leave the score at an incredible 8 runs for 8 wickets. A few lusty blows followed, but it was far too late and we were bowled out for just 30 to complete a comprehensive victory for Calder Grove. If you're not of a nervous disposition, you can see the scorecard here.

Winning Start

The 2024 cricket season finally got going on Saturday 4th May, with a comprehensive away win for our men's team at Horbury Bridge. After we won the toss, it was inevitable that we would insert the opposition on a soft and green wicket which would be difficult to bat on. And so it proved as Horbury bridge found themselves 10 for 2 after 3 overs. Jack Machin (21) and Ben Terry (17) seemed to be staging a recovery, but in fact they were the only players to reach double figures as Horbury subsided to 77 all out. The wickets were shared around, Kamran Banaras leading the way with a remarkable 3 for 2 from 5 overs. Syed Haidar and Ethan Sefton also chipped in with 3 wickets each. In reply, we lost 2 early wickets but skipper Josh Abson (25 not out) shared solid partnerships with George Tyas (23) and Charlie Raw (13) to knock off the bulk of the runs, as we overhauled the score for the loss of 4 wickets. A good 16 point win to start the season.

Website Sponsor

Thank you to Dodworth based Infinite Fire and Security for kindly sponsoring our website for the 2024 season. Your generosity is much appreciated.

Match Ball Sponsorship

Thank you to Jade Hickling, JMH Building Contractors, Barry Hinchliffe, Dave Whittlestone Financial Consultants, Infinite Fire and Security, Wayne Swaby, BJM Plumbing and Heating, Bluebell Banqueting Suite, D Batty Tiling and Plastering, Ian Fletcher, Shane Abson, Simon Hall, BM Plastering and Rendering, Mark Stevenson and Adam Hill, who have all agreed to sponsor a match ball for the coming season. At a cost of £30 per game, you get coverage on all our social media and website up to and including game day, and in match reports and fixtures, and a free pint in the club bar during the match. We've already got most of the 2024 season's games booked up, so if you want to book a game or get further details contact skipper Josh Abson on 07747 987323.

Season Opening Delayed

The opening of the 2024 season has been delayed by 1 week because of the incessant wet weather, which means that most clubs cannot prepare their grounds for the start of the season. Our men's team opening match away at Oulton has now been moved to Saturday 21st September, with all other fixtures remaining the same, therefore our first game will be at home to Rossington on Saturday 27th April at 1pm. The ladies will now start their season on 28th April away at Worsbrough Bridge at 10am. You can see the updated fixture list here.

Annual General Meeting

The 2024 Annual General Meeting of the club will be held this year at our club sponsors the Fairway Hotel, Dodworth, on Monday 29th January 2024 at 7pm. All members, prospective members and players are welcome to attend. If you wish to put forward any issue for discussion at the meeting, please contact club secretary Ray Cooper by Friday 26th January. Thanks to the Fairway for hosting the meeting.

2024 Fixtures Released

The 2024 season fixtures for our Saturday Team have now been released. The lads start with a trip to Oulton, near Leeds, on 20th April for the season opener, then on 27th April we entertain Rossington in the first game at Stainborough. The Ladies Team fixtures will be updated on here when they are released. We look forward to seeing you up at Stainborough on Saturday 27th April for our first home game.

Happy New Year!

We would like to wish all members, supporters, players and their families a very happy and enjoyable winter season, and a happy and successful year for 2024. See you up at Stainborough in April.

Happy Christmas!

We would like to wish all members, supporters, players and their families a very happy enjoyable winter season, a happy Christmas and a successful year for 2024. See you up at Stainborough in April.

Winter Shutdown

The club is now closed for the winter following the end of the 2023 season. We will be open again from mid-April 2024 for the new season. Fixtures and events will be posted here when available. We would like to wish all members, supporters, players and their families a very happy enjoyable close season, a happy Christmas and a successful year for 2024. See you in April.

Season End

A disappointing end to a difficult season for our Saturday team on September 16th, as we slumped to another defeat at home to Whitley Bridge. Batting first, we started well with Paul Brown playing in typical style to hit a rapid 43. He was well supported by Dan Baker with 24 as we reached 60 in just 10 overs, but our middle order succumbed as we slumped to 86-7. Lewis Shepherd hit a spirited 33, supported by skipper Josh Abson with 13 in an unfamiliar role at number 9, but we finished on 130 all out. In reply, Jacob Holdway hit 73 not out and James Pearson 36 as Whitley Bridge overcame the total with ease in 17 overs. A notable bowling performance from Syed Haidar for Stainborough, as he took all 4 wickets to fall at a cost of just 16 runs in his 5 overs. Well done to the players that turned out, it's been a difficult season and there is much work to be done in the winter to prepare for next season in division 3. Best wishes to all players, members and supporters for the close season.

Ladies Finals Day

Stainborough CC Ladies will be taking part in the South Yorkshire Softball League division 1 finals day on Sunday 17th September at Elsecar CC. The other teams are Eckington, Hatfield Town, Millhouses, Worsbrough Bridge and Tickhill. The quarter final game against Millhouses is at 10am, the first semi final at 12 noon and the final is scheduled for 2pm. Our ladies won this competition last year, so let's hope they can make it two in a row, good luck to the team.

Ladies Friendly

Our ladies played an end of season friendly at Stainborough against Cawthorne cobras, and a great game resulted. It was a fantastic match played in good spirits with the hosts posting the highest score of the season so far with 388. Key highlights in the batting department came from Beth Baker (59), returning to the team following an ACL injury before the start of the season, and Ms Consistent Leah White with another whirlwind 49. Cawthorne unfortunately never really got off the mark and finished on 199 with Jess Rayner and Charlotte Plant taking 2 wickets each. Best of luck to Cawthorne for next season, Stainborough women now have their sights set on the Division 1 Cup Finals day which will be held at Elsecar CC on Sunday 17th September.

Well Done Ladies!

Congratulations to our ladies team, who finished a creditable 3rd equal in the South Yorkshire Softball League division 1, after achieving promotion in their debut 2022 season. Many congratulations to whirlwind batter Leah White, who smashed 319 runs to score more than any other softball player in the whole of Yorkshire. Well done Leah, a magnificent performance from a top player. Leah also chipped in with 12 wickets, along with team-mate Charlotte Plant, but the overall winner in the bowling department was Jess Rayner, with 19 wickets which was the highest total in division 1. Thank you to all players who took part, well done on your achievements in your second season at Stainborough, and thanks too to coach Billy Rayner for his hard work. We look forward to another successful season in the 2024 season, and of course another celebratory curry night in the coming winter. In recognition of our ladies' achievements over the season, we've managed to secure a Trent Rockets cap, signed by England stars Katherine Brunt and Natalie Sciver-Brunt. We'll present this cap to our ladies player of the year, at a forthcoming event. Thanks to Billy Rayner for organising, and of course to Natalie and Katherine for their donation. Once again, well done to our superb ladies team.

Defeat at Knottingley

Stainborough lost out by 38 runs in a lowish scoring game at Knottingley on 12th August. Having been asked to field, Stainborough bowled well but couldn't prevent the Knottingley openers reaching 59 before the first breakthrough by skipper Josh Abson. After that the clatter of wickets was fairly regular as Knottingley fell to 106-7, but a spirited 41 by Andrew Lund, aided by good tail end support, saw the final total rise to 167 for 9 at the interval. Dan Baker was the chief wicket taker with 5 for 29, followed by Josh Abson with 3-31. Chasing 170 to win, things did not start well as our first 5 batsmen departed with just 16 runs on the board. Opener Dan Baker watched the procession from the other end, and stood his ground firmly with a watchful 53 as he gave us a chance to chase down the runs. With some support from the lower order, he pushed the score along to 66-6 and 107-7, but Andrew Lund eventually demolished his stumps and cleaned up the tail to achieve a 38 run win for Knottingley. It was a good effort, and well done to Dan Baker for his man of the match performance of 5-29 and 53.

Ladies Win!

Back to winning ways for our ladies away at Millhouses Works on Thursday 27th July, in a close low scoring game. Millhouses won the toss and batted first, but lost 8 wickets in scoring 59 to give them a total score of 219. Leah White was the destroyer with 4 wickets for just 5 runs as the Millhouses batters had no answer. In reply, good knocks of 17 from skipper Jade Walker, and an inevitable top score of 22 from Leah, saw us finish on 75. However, we lost 7 wickets in the process, so we finished on 240 to win by 21 runs. Still, a win is a win, so well done ladies.

Tickhill Top

League leaders Tickhill consolidated their place at the top of the table with a good bowling performance against our ladies at Stainborough on Thursday 20th July. We batted first and as usual Leah White hit out to score 29 in quick time for just 1 dismissal, but the remaining batters conceded no less than 9 dismissals as we lost 50 runs to finish on 233-10. In reply Tickhill scored at a similar pace to Stainborough, but crucially they only lost 3 wickets to win the game handsomely by 41 runs. Shauner Waddington was the pick of our bowlers with 2 for 11 from 3 economical overs.

Higham Hammered

Our ladies team comprehensively defeated Higham at Stainborough on Sunday 16th July. Higham won the toss and chose to bat, but good bowling from Jess Rayner (3-7) and Charlotte Plant (2-23) restricted them to 225 for 7 wickets, a very reachable score. In reply, Leah White once again showed her class as she hit 44 not out from just 11 balls in an innings of absolute carnage. Skipper Jade Walker was the next highest scorer with 13 not out, and in fact Higham failed to take a single Stainborough wicket in an easy victory as we finished on 335-0. Well done ladies for another great win.

Ladies Back On It

Our ladies got back on track on Sunday 9th July, with a good win against Eckington. Batting first, Leah White was her usual swashbuckling self as she hit 24, then skipper Jade Walker hammered 19 at the end as Stainborough posted 277 from their 16 overs. It was a gettable score, but good bowling from our girls meant that Eckington lost 40 runs from 8 dismissals, and ended on 234 to give Stainborough the points. Jess Freeman with 20-2 was the only double figure scorer for Eckington. Well done ladies for a good team performance.

Abson Agony

An exceptional performance by skipper Josh Abson on Saturday 1st July at Whitley Bridge, but one that ended in disappointment for Stainborough. After winning the toss and choosing to bat, Josh came in at number 3 after an early wicket. He then proceeded to dismantle the Whitley Bridge bowling, hitting an undefeated 122 with no less than 23 boundaries. However, the next highest score was just 11 as batting partners came and went, and Stainborough were eventually bowled out for 185. Whitley Bridge are a strong batting side, and so it proved as they hit out from the start, with openers James Pearson (71) and Diljit Singh (50) putting on a big opening partnership in quick time. When they departed, the pace of the innings slowed somewhat, but eventually Whitley Bridge overhauled the target from 22 overs. Thank you to match sponsor Simon Hall and to all the players who turned out on a disappointing afternoon.

Brodsworth Defeat

A convincing defeat in our home game against league leaders Brodsworth on Saturday 24th June. After winning the toss and batting, Stainborough made a steady start, with Jon Pepper (18) and skipper Josh Abson (12) both playing themselves in but then falling. After that we lost wickets regularly in a slump to 52 for 8, then keeper Chris Beck and Dan Jenkinson staged a mini recovery to take the score to 92 when Dan was out. Dave Plant hit a few blows to take the score to 105 when he was last man out. It was never going to be enough against the league leaders, and so it proved as skipper Dave Merryweather hit the ball to all parts with an undefeated 87 from just 29 balls, with all except 3 runs being boundaries. Eventually the total was knocked off after just 8 overs. Thank you to the Spencer and his colleagues at the Bluebell Suite, Fairway for sponsoring the match ball, and thank you to the players who turned out on a hot day and did their best against a very good side.

Hundhill Hall Horror!

A bad day for Stainborough away at Hundhill Hall on Saturday 3rd June, as we lost by a massive 352 runs. Hundhill Hall batted first, and hammered the ball to all parts as they racked up no fewer than 468 for the loss of just 4 wickets, Richard Earnshaw leading the way with 148. Matthew Ramsden also hit a century, and big hitting from Jordan Harvey (68 from 29 balls) and Reece Johnson (62 from just 14 balls) took the score to 468 at the close. In reply, Stainborough lost early wickets in a futile chase, and eventually we were bowled out for just 116 to complete a very heavy defeat. It was a bad day, but these things happen in cricket and we will start again next week at home to Fenwick. You can see the scorecard from the game here.

A Bad Trot

A bad trot for our teams as our men's team lost two in a row, the latest defeat being a heavy one at home to league leaders Knottingley on Saturday 27th May. Batting first against a wedding-weakened Stainborough side, Knottingley piled up 241 all out with no less than 6 double figure scores. Bradley Davis led the way with an undefeated 65, supported by Andrew Lund with 47 and Richard Carter with 41. Joe McLee bowled 12 good overs to finish with a creditable 4-55, Dave Plant took 3-30 and veteran Phil Archer rolled back the years with 2 for 23. In reply, a typically stoic 23 from Jon Pepper held up things at one end, but wickets fell regularly at the other as Stainborough were bowled out for 108 to lose by 133 runs. Alex Clemo with 4-11 and Matthew Daniel with 4-26 were the main destroyers on a hot day at Stainborough. Two days earlier our Ladies' unbeaten run came to an end to Eckington, who batted first and scored a gettable 297-3 from their 16 overs. In reply Stainborough matched the required rate throughout, but unusually lost 8 wickets in the process, costing 40 runs. We ended up on 266-8 to lose by 31 runs.

White Whirlwind!

Another crashing innings by Leah White led the way to yet another victory for our all-conquering ladies at Higham on 14th May. Batting first, we were off to a good start as Helen White hit 23 off 14 balls. The middle order added solid runs as Waddington with 10, Charlotte Plant with 10 and Jade Walker with 18 all contributed. Then came Leah, who introduced herself with 6-6-4-4 from her first 4 shots. She ended up on 51 not out from just 15 balls as Stainborough finished on 152 for 1 for a mammoth net score of 347. In reply, Higham tried their best but were never in the chase, eventually losing 5 wickets for their score of 58, giving them a net score of 233. Jess Rayner picked up a couple of wickets as Stainborough completed a comprehensive 114 run victory. Well done ladies!

Crofton Crushed

A resounding victory for our men's team on Saturday 13th May as last year's division 3 champions Crofton were crushed by a massive margin of 115 runs. Batting first, Stainborough initially found it hard going, with the damp outfield halting many boundary bound shots. At 36 for 3 it looked like we may struggle, but a fine partnership of 110 between Murray Raw (56) and Josh Abson (73 not out) changed the game around. The next highest score was extras with 15 as we finished on 181 for 6. In reply, to be honest it was a procession as Crofton slumped to 18 for 5, then a mini recovery took the score to 46 before another slump left Crofton all out for 65. The wickets were shared between Danny Baker (4-34), Joe McLee (3-11) and Josh Abson (3-18) in a convincing 16 point victory.

Damp Squib

A disappointing and premature end to our game at Rothwell on Saturday 6th May, as rain put paid to any chance of a result. Rothwell batted first and were soon in trouble as two wickets went down quickly, but they recovered thanks to a fine 92 not out from Edward Wilson to post a competitive 211 for 5 from 45 overs, then declaring when the rain came. Lewis Shepherd excelled with the ball, taking 3 of the 5 wickets to fall. Stainborough would have been up for the chase but the rain never stopped and in fact became heavier as the afternoon wore on, and the game had to be abandoned without any more play. You can see the scorecard here.

Ladies Back At It

First game of the season!!!! Following the successful 2022 campaign which saw Stainborough CC Ladies win the South Yorkshire Division 3 title and domestic cup, the ladies have now found themselves promoted to Division 1 and kicked off their season yesterday away at Hatfield Town. Stainborough won the toss and elected to bat on a wet dog. Despite the ladies taking a break from the indoor league they started very strongly with Helen White smashing a 4 first ball, which really gave the team momentum in their batting innings. Pick of the batters was Leah White with a quick fire 30 and Jade Walker with 16. It’s unlikely Leah will be welcomed back to Hatfield after dinting a Mercedes with her 6 hitting ability. Debutant Shauner Waddington showed real courage opening the batting with Helen White and didn’t disappoint with a solid performance. Stainborough posted 302 for the loss of 2 wickets. In reply Hatfield struggled to really get going due to some really tight bowling from Jess Rayner (2 wickets) and Charlotte Plant (2 wickets). Player of the match goes to Shauner Waddington for taking 1 wicket, 1 catch and 1 run-out in her first ever game. Well done to all involved and best of luck to Hatfield for the rest of the season. You can see the scorecard here.

Off the Mark

Stainborough men got the 2023 season off the mark with an emphatic win against Pollington at Stainborough. Batting first, Pollington struggled against tight opening bowling from Josh Abson (1-13) and Lewis Shepherd (1-12), as they limped to 23 for 1 from 10 overs. Lewis injured a finger and had to be replaced by Dean Warden, who then ran through the Pollington middle order to take 6-24 from 10 overs. Lewis Upton came on to finish off the tail and Pollington were all out for just 74. In reply, opener Paul Brown fell with the score at 8, but Dave Webster and Callum Woodhead added 27 as Stainborough moved smoothly toward the target. There was then a tiny wobble as Callum was out, followed quickly by skipper Josh Abson, before Lewis Shepherd hit a belligerent 30 off 22 balls to finish the match for the loss of just 3 wickets. A good performance and a welcome 16 point victory, you can see the scorecard from the game here.

Disappointing Start

A very disappointing start to the 2023 season, as on a damp, soggy Saturday 22nd April our game at Hooton Pagnell had to be called off after discussions about the weather and team selection. The next day, the Sunday game against Shelley was also called off as Shelley were involved in a cup competition that day. The match has been rescheduled for later in the season on August 27th. Next Saturday 29th April our lads are at home to Pollington in a match sponsored by Ian Fletcher, who we understand is looking forward to his free pint!

Match Ball Sponsorship

Thank you to Ian Fletcher, JMH Building Contractors, Kath Scott, Russell Boyes, the Bluebell Suite, the Fairway, Yes Waste, Wayne Swaby, BM Plastering, LEW Barnsley, Pieminister/Soho Music Institute, the Comedy Shop, Lisa's New Creations, Curry Mahal, the Steers Family, George Sharman and Son, Shane Abson, Simon Hall and Tony Martin for signing up to sponsor a match ball for the coming 2023 season. Would any of our friends, members or supporters like to sponsor a match ball in any of the remaining matches? You can see our fixtures here. The cost is £30 for Saturday and Sunday team games, or £20 for ladies' team games, and includes coverage on social media, our website and at the ground, and a free pint. All Saturday home games and several away games now have a ball sponsor, so please contact Josh Abson 07447 987323 for further details or to book a Sunday match, a remaining Saturday away match or a ladies match.

Nearly There!

Just 1 more day to the start of the season on Saturday 22nd April, when our Saturday team travel to Hooton Pagnell for their first game in the Pontefract Championship League after their promotion last season. The first game at Stainborough was scheduled for the next day, Sunday 23rd April, against Shelley, but the game has been postponed due to Shelley's cup commitments. Thank you to our ground staff who have been working hard to get the ground in good condition for the season, the ground is a picture and your work is much appreciated. Our first home game is now on Saturday 29th April when we entertain Pollington, we look forward to seeing you up at the club for that game and during the coming 2023 season.

Ladies Fixtures Out

The fixtures for our ladies team have been released and you can now see them on our website. The ladies start with a trip to Hatfield Town on 30th April, and the first home game is not until 28th May when we entertain Millhouses at Stainborough. Most games start at 12 noon on Sundays, but sometimes it's an early 10am start. You can see our fixtures here. Good luck to the ladies in the South Yorkshire softball league, this season in division 1 after winning the division 3 title last season.

Season 2023 Officers and Officials

Following our recent annual general meeting, the following have been elected as club officials for the coming season:-
President: Debbie Abson
Vice-president (new): Dave Exley
Trustees: Phil Archer, Ian Fletcher, Ray Cooper, Richard Umbers
Chairman: Murray Raw
Vice chairman: Jon Pepper
Secretary: Ray Cooper
Treasurer: Luke Selwood
Saturday team captain: Josh Abson
Sunday team captain: To be decided
Child welfare officer: Luke Selwood
Committee: Phil Archer, Lewis Shepherd, Shane Abson, Josh Abson, Dave Webster, Spencer Smith

Subscriptions Due

Can we remind members that subscriptions were due on 1st March 2023 and should be paid before 30th April 2023. It would greatly help with our finances if members could pay their subscriptions on time, thank you.

Free Winter Nets

We are pleased to announce that we have organised winter nets for both our teams. The ladies nets have already started on Tuesday evenings from 6:30pm to 8pm at Holy Trinity School, Carlton Road, Barnsley S71 2LF. The men are netting on Sundays, starting on 5th February 2023 at 10:30am at Yorkshire Cricket Nets at Thornes Lane Wharfe, Wakefield WF1 5RL. All present and prospective players are welcome and the nets for both ladies and men are paid for by the club, so there's no charge to you if you want to practise.

Winter Shutdown

Following our successful Sporting Dinner on 7th October, the club is now closed for the winter, although the ground staff will be in attendance from time to time to keep the ground in tip-top condition ready for the new season. We'll be back in mid April 2023, and the fixtures will be on here as soon as they are available. We wish all players, supporters, members and their families and friends a good winter, and we hope to see you next spring for the new season.

Mike Coldwell

All of us at Stainborough Cricket Club are very sad to announce that Mike Coldwell, former member, player, captain, committee man and president, passed away on 29th December 2022. Mike, or 'Coddy' as he was affectionately known at the club, started playing for Stainborough around 1955, and was destined to meet his wife Marjorie at Stainborough while he was enjoying one of her famous teas on a match day. He was a top first team all rounder - a medium pace right arm bowler and an aggressive and destructive left hand batter. He played first team cricket for many years and captained the Sunday team from 1975, before eventually dropping into the second team as the years progressed. One of his great qualities was the time he would take to pass on his experience to younger players, many of whom became better cricketers as a result. After he finished playing he continued to visit the club to support the team, and was club president for several years. Mike's funeral was held at Higham Church at 11:45 on Thursday 2nd February, then at 12:50 at Barnsley crematorium. There was a wake at Barugh Green Club immediately afterwards. Sincere condolences to Mike's family and friends from all at Stainborough Cricket Club. RIP Coddy 🏏

David Petherbridge

We are very sad to have to inform you that David Petherbridge, club member for many decades, passed away on 7th January 2023. David was manager at the former Ardsley House Hotel for many years, and he made a great contribution to our successful series of Sporting Dinners and Lunches that we held there until it closed down. He was a good after dinner speaker and he was MC for the club's 150th Anniversary celebration dinner in 2009. Sincere condolences to David's family and friends from all at Stainborough Cricket Club.

Fixtures Released

The 2023 season fixtures for our Saturday Team and Sunday Team have now been released. The Saturday team start with a trip to Hooton Pagnell on 22nd April, then the next day our Sunday team entertain Shelley at Stainborough. The Ladies Team fixtures will be updated on here when they are released. We look forward to seeing you up at Stainborough on Sunday 23rd April for the season opener.

Happy New Year!

Stainborough Cricket Club would like to wish everyone a very happy, successful, healthy and fun New Year for 2023. Best wishes to you, from all at Stainborough Cricket Club.

Barnsley FC Premiership Prints

We've now sold out of our signed Barnsley FC Premiership prints. These A3 size prints of the promotion celebrations in 1997 have been signed by striker John Hendrie and defender Adi Moses, and they went for £15 each on a first come first served basis. Thanks to all those who purchased one.

Annual Sporting Dinner

We had a great night on Friday 7th October at the Bluebell Conference Centre for our annual dinner, starring Barnsley FC Premiership striker Super Johnny Hendrie as the main speaker, and a special guest appearance from team mate Adi Moses. John did a brilliant Q and A session with MC Dave Cooper, and there was hush around the room as he described the day of the Bradford City fire, as he was playing in that fateful game at Valley Parade. Thank you to Ian Fletcher, Jonathan Pepper, Luke Andrew Selwood and Peter Raw for organising and helping out on the night, much appreciated. We'll have news on next year's dinner in due course, thank you to all those who came along and contributed to a very successful auction and raffle. Another classic Stainborough night!

Top All Rounder - Josh Abson

We are delighted to announce that Josh Abson has been chosen as the top all-rounder in divisions 1 to 4 of the Pontefract and District Cricket League. Josh hit 533 runs and took 67 wickets in a great season for our Saturday team. The award will be presented at the league's annual presentation evening on Friday 21st October at Sharlston Rovers ARLC. Tickets, priced at £10, are available from Brian Lee 07939 310356 if anyone wants to attend. Well done Josh!

Presentation Evening

After a successful championship winning season for our ladies team, and a promotion winning season for our Saturday team, we held our presentation evening on Saturday 1st October at the club. The winners were:-

Saturday Team batting: Josh Abson, 533 runs, average 59.2, highest score 110 not out, 2 centuries, 2 fifties

Saturday Team bowling: Josh Abson, 67 wickets, average 9.8, best 7 for 30, 8 five wicket hauls

Saturday Team fielding: Paul Brown, 21 catches including 19 wicket keeping, 1 run out

Saturday Team fielding: Josh Abson, 10 catches including 1 wicket keeping

Sunday Team batting: Paul Brown, 270 runs, average 67.5, highest score 64 not out, 3 fifties

Sunday Team bowling: Josh Abson, 14 wickets, average 8.7, best 5 for 25, 1 five wicket haul

Sunday Team fielding: Josh Abson, 5 catches, 1 stumping

Sunday Team fielding: Steve Bullough, 6 catches including 1 wicket keeping

Ladies Team batting: Leah White

Ladies Team bowling: Helen White

Ladies Team fielding: Jade Walker

Well done to all our winners!

We're Going Up!

On the last day of the 2022 season, Saturday 17th September, our Saturday team secured promotion to division two for the 2023 season. The day was tinged with disappointment however, as we lost out away at Old Sharlston, and a win for Crofton saw them take the title by 6 points. Many regulars were missing from our team due to a wedding, but nevertheless we started the game well after putting Old Sharlston in to bat. Things looked good at 26 for 3, but then a mammoth partnership of 214 took the game out of our reach, with two Old Sharlston batters scoring centuries. They had their fair share of luck, with many air-bound shots and edges, but in between they played some good shots. The partnership looked like being undefeated, but in the last over it was finally broken by Shahid Akram. This 4th wicket gave us the bonus point we needed to clinch promotion. After sitting for hours with his pads on, the next batter came in with 3 balls left, but the first one demolished his stumps and Old Sharlston finished on 247 for 5. It was a daunting target, but our lads went for it from the start. Unluckily for us however, our air-bound shots and edges went directly to fielders, and we were bowled out for 109 as we slumped to defeat.

Shep and Josh Show

It was the Shep and Josh show at Stainborough on the afternoon of Saturday 10th September, after a great win in a low scoring game against Streethouse. After being put in to bat, Stainborough started very badly on a cloudy day with the ball playing tricks in the conditions. We made a terrible start, sinking to 20 for 4 after 10 overs, and it looked like our title challenge was stuttering. Two more wickets fell and all seemed lost at 43 for 6 from 19 overs. But then Lewis Shepherd and Joe McLee came together and added a priceless 55 to take the score to 98 before Joe was out for a solid 33. Lewis shepherded the tail well to add another 51 with Shahid Akram (15) before he was finally out with his job almost done. We finished on 159, a lowish score but at 43 for 6 we would have taken it. In reply, Streethouse also started badly as they found themselves on 1 for 2 after just 26 balls, but then Mark Robinson came to the wicket and hit 80 at a run a ball as wickets fell all around him. Josh Abson was almost unplayable as he took 6 wickets at the other end to reduce Streethouse to 68 for 7, but Mark Robinson was still there, and an unlikely win looked possible. After a well-earned rest, Josh came back on and finally had Robinson caught behind for a valiant 80. The next highest score was 12 as Streethouse found themselves on 111 for 8 and the chase looked unlikely, and sure enough the last couple of wickets fell quickly as Streethouse were bowled out for 117 to give us a 15 point win. With one game to go, we have an 8 point lead at the top of the table, so a victory next week at Old Sharlston will see us crowned champions. Congratulations to Lewis Shepherd for his 61 priceless runs, and to Josh Abson for his 7 wickets for just 30 runs to win the game. A quick mention for former player Paul Huddleston who travelled from South Carolina in the USA to watch the game, good to see you Paul!

Tight at the Top

The top of the table gap was closed up on Saturday 3rd September as our game at Horbury Bridge was abandoned due to the weather, and elsewhere a win for Crofton brought them to second place, 9 points behind Stainborough at the top. Horbury Bridge batted first and scored a daunting 235 for 7 from their 46 overs. Leading the way was Tom Womersley with 56 not out, and there were no less than 6 other double figure knocks as the Stainborough bowlers toiled. Josh Abson (3-66) and John Hall (2-58) were the pick as they both bowled 14 over spells. In reply, we reached 118 for 3, exactly half the target, from 27 overs when the game had to be abandoned, so who knows whether we would have scored the remaining 118 runs to win the game? Dan Baker was top scorer with 41, and Paul Brown was in full flow on 28 when the game ended. We took 8 points from the game, so things are really tight at the top with 2 games left.

Bank Holiday Fun Day

A huge crowd turned up at Stainborough on Bank Holiday Sunday 28th August, as we all had an absolute brilliant family fun day. Thank you to Josh and Billy for organising, Debbie and Kirsty for running the bar, together with her little helpers (Michael, Kath, Jess, Jade and Courtney) throughout the day, Shane for doing the BBQ and to all those who took part in the games of cricket. We know you all enjoyed yourselves and had a good old laugh along the way. Massive thanks to all the many guests who came along to have fun in the sun and to support our club, because without you it wouldn’t have been such a success. We'll be sure to repeat the event next year!

Notton Hammered!

A big win for Stainborough on Saturday 27th August at home to Notton. As usual, Stainborough won the toss and asked the opposition to bat first, and the decision soon paid dividends as Notton found themselves at 20 for 8 after 8 incredible overs. On a bizarre scorecard, Harvey Bukhari scored a battling 32 in the face of excellent bowling, and the next highest score was only 5 as Notton were bowled out for just 56. Josh Abson was once again the destroyer-in-chief with 5 for 17, supported at the other end by Lewis Shepherd with 3 for 17, and later on Joe McLee with 2 for 13. In reply we lost Jon Pepper and Dave Webster early on, but Daniel Baker (19 not out) and Brad Wood (28 not out) added 38 in a rapid undefeated partnership to win the game in just 15 overs. Stainborough take a full 16 points, and with 3 games left we are still in pole position to take the title.

Bank Holiday Fun Day

On Sunday 28th August we will be holding a bank holiday fun day at Stainborough, for all members and their guests and families. There will be recreational cricket for ladies, gents, boys and girls of all ages and abilities, along with music, bar service and the famous Stainborough barbecue. The bar will be open from 12:30 and on into the evening. Come along, bring your kids and enjoy an afternoon in the beautiful countryside surroundings at Stainborough Cricket Club.

Ladies Win Again

Our ladies team won yet again on Sunday 21st August, in the South Yorkshire Softball League Finals Day competition at Oughtibridge played by 8 teams. As league champions we started in the semi final against Wickersley, winning by 326 runs to 271 to reach the final. There we played our hosts for the day, Oughtibridge, and defeated them by a big margin of 334 to 256. Another superb performance by the ladies, who close the season on a real high with another great win. Well done to all the ladies who took part and of course to coach Billy for giving up loads of his time to train the girls. We look forward to another successful season in 2023 in division 2. Congratulations!!!

Cawthorne Carnage

A heavy defeat for Stainborough away at Cawthorne on Sunday 21st August. Stainborough won the toss and chose to bat, which after scoring over 300 last week looked like a good decision on a sunny afternoon. However, only Dan Jenkinson (15) made double figures, with the next highest score bring 8 as we were bowled out for a paltry 49. Ewan Mackie took 6 wickets for just 9 runs in just 2 overs in a bizarre bowling performance as our batters simply had no answer. In reply, the result was a foregone conclusion, but we did manage to get 3 wickets as Cawthorne reached the target in 12 overs. A disappointing end to the Sunday season, but thank you to all the players who gave up their time to turn out, it's much appreciated by the club.

Back on Track

On Saturday 20th August our Saturday team got their title challenge back on track after a good win in a high scoring game away at Newton Hill. Newton Hill batted first and hit 208 for 9 from their 46 overs, with good knocks from Bilsborough (69), Riley (32 and Hussain (31). Lewis Shepherd bowled a good economical spell, taking 4 for 32 from his 9 overs, and at the other end John Hall bowled a full 14 over spell for his 4 for 64. The score was daunting, but reachable, and Josh Abson was the star with a rapid and undefeated 113 as we knocked off the runs for a 15 point victory. Once again we have opened up a lead at the top of the table after a run of 3 straight defeats. Well done to Josh and the lads for a good comeback.

Ladies Are Champions!!

Our magnificent ladies team have today been declared champions of the Yorkshire Softball League division 3. After only losing 1 game all season, the ladies swept aside the opposition in all the other games to win the league in their first season with Stainborough - a truly wonderful performance by each and every one of them. Congratulations to Billy and the girls on a great season, you'll be in division 2 next season and we hope you go on to win that too. Well done to all of you!

Sunday Best

On Sunday 14th August our Sunday team won by a huge margin of 236 runs against near neighbours Thurgoland. The match was played at Stainborough at the request of Thurgoland, in front of a big crowd. Stainborough batted first and carnage ensued. Father and son openers J and J Pepper added 52 before dad departed, closely followed by son. Anthony Johnson then hit a quick 46 and Steve Bullough buffeted and battered his way to 104 before retiring to give the other lads a go. All our betters made at least double figures except one, and we finished on a massive 318 for 7 from our 40 overs. We don't want to dwell on the bowling figures, but suffice to say that Thurgoland tried no less than nine bowlers in an attempt to stem the flow, with no success. The Thurgoland reply was well short of the required rate as wickets fell at regular intervals. Only 2 batters scored more than 10 and there were 4 ducks as Thurgoland were bowled out for just 82 in less than 20 overs. Paul Brown was the key bowler, with 6 wickets for just 21 runs from 8 overs. A great win for the Sunday lads, and congratulations to Steve Bullough for his fine century.

Three in a Row

Our Saturday team lost again on Saturday 13th August for the 3rd game in a row. This time it was Crofton who did the damage, with a huge score of 277 for 7 from their 46 overs. All looked well as we were asked to bowl first and Crofton sank to 49 for 4 after 15 overs on a hot day at Stainborough. However a whirlwind partnership of 175 between Asif Sheraz (121) and Usman Zahir (61) took the game from Stainborough as the bowlers toiled in the heat. Sheraz was out for an aggressive century on 41 overs, but there was still time for another 53 runs as Crofton closed on a daunting 277 for 7. In reply Stainborough had a go, but it was always going to be a near impossible task as we lost wickets at regular intervals to slump to 75 for 7. Bonus points are important at this stage of the season, and Daniel Baker hit a fine undefeated 42 in a partnership with Shahid Akram (37) to secure 2 extra points as we finished on 192 all out. All in all it was a heavy defeat, but the 5 bonus points keep us at the top of the table in what will be a very tight title race with 5 games to go.

Sunday Blues

A big defeat for our Sunday team away at Shelley on Sunday 7th August. Shelley batted first and amassed a demanding total of 233 all out, largely due to a rapid partnership of exactly 100 between Alex Kilner (80) and Sam Jaggar (65). Jack Pepper was the pick of our bowlers with 4 for 22 from just 3 overs. In our reply, opener Brad Wood batted well for his 48, but wickets fell regularly at the other end, including no less than 3 golden ducks. Only Jack Pepper offered some resistance with a battling 28, but eventually we were bowled out for 112 to lose by 121 runs. Earlier in the day our ladies missed out on a full house of victories for the season in a close and entertaining game against Higham at Stainborough. Higham batted first and scored 299, a total which would normally be within reach of our powerful batting line up. However, in our chase we lost no less than 8 wickets, which cost us 40 runs. In the event we managed to hit 296, just 3 runs short. Well done to the Stainborough team on a great season - as things stand we are still joint top of the league with Worsbrough, but Higham could still catch up depending on the results of their remaining matches.

Lorna Stubbings

We are devastated to bring you the news that Lorna Stubbings, long time Stainborough CC supporter, passed away recently at the age of 84. Lorna and her husband Ken were the parents of our former fast bowler Mark Stubbings, who played for Stainborough for several decades. Years ago Lorna and Ken were Yorkshire members and followed first class cricket, but when Mark started playing for Stainborough in 1981, they became Stainborough members and travelled home and away to watch Mark play. Lorna also produced the most delicious teas back at that time, and there aren't many village cricket grounds around our area that they have not visited. They were loyal supporters for 4 decades and they were well known to all the players during that time. They had a routine at Stainborough of taking a leisurely walk around the boundary from time to time, but the direction they would take depended on the state of the match. They believed that one way meant more runs, the other way meant more wickets, so the direction they took depended on whether we were batting or bowling! In the photo you can see Lorna with husband Ken at Holmfirth Vineyard back in May, where they celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary courtesy of their son Mark. Lorna leaves husband Ken, sons Mark and his older brother Ivan, and younger daughter Erika. Sincere condolences to all Lorna's family from everyone at Stainborough Cricket Club.

Title Challenge Stumble

Our Saturday team went down to a disappointing defeat on Saturday 6th August against second placed Pledwick, who therefore made up some ground at the top of the table. As usual we won the toss and asked Pledwick to bat. The openers put on 50 before Charlie Raw took the first wicket, but the top 4 all made good scores as Pledwick finished on 181 for 6 from their overs. Charlie finished with 3 for 30 from 14 overs in a good bowling performance. It was a reachable target for a Stainborough side missing some key players, but the chase did not start well. We soon found ourselves at 17 for 2 as both openers departed early on, but then Dave Webster (37) and Murray Raw (25) added a solid 42 before Murray was out at 59 for 3. We then slumped to 88 for 6 after a middle order collapse, but these lads don't know when to give up. Brad Wood (28) and John Hall (37 not out) also added 42 to take us to 130 for 7, which soon became 131 for 9 and defeat looked inevitable. But even then we weren't finished, and John Hall and last man Luke Selwood added another 32 for the last wicket to put us within striking distance of the target. Sadly it wasn't to be as Luke was last out with the score on 163, but it was a great effort by the last pair. Conrad Burdekin with 6 for 60 and James Eastlake with 4 for 62 were the wicket takers. The defeat leaves us still 10 points clear at the top of the table and 25 points clear of second place, with 6 games to play, so it's still in our hands to win the title.

Double Defeat

It was a disappointing double-defeat weekend for Stainborough as our Sunday team went down to a home defeat to Rockingham Colliery on Sunday 31st July. After winning the toss and batting on a damp showery day, our batters struggled against some good bowling as we were bowled out for 121. Top scorer was our club chairman Murray Raw with 30, supported by Ben Severn with 29 and Brad Wood with 22. Simon Grindle was the pick of the Rockingham bowlers with 4 for 24 from just 5 overs. The target of 122 was never going to be enough, and Rockingham reached it in 23 overs for the loss of 3 wickets, all down to Steve Bullough with 3 for 29. Tyler Jowitt was top scorer with 39, closely followed by Andy Baker with 33 and Jack Riley with 25. A poor weekend as both teams were defeated, but we'll be back next weekend to pick up some more points.

Rare Defeat

A rare defeat today, Saturday 30th July, as Stainborough lost the toss and were put in on a cloudy day at Garforth. In a bizarre start to our innings, Stainborough sank to 6 for 2 and a recovery was needed. Sadly, it only got worse, as a procession followed and we were reduced to 11 for 5 by some good bowling. After just 8 overs it already looked like we would go down to only our 3rd defeat of the season, then a mini recovery by Lewis Shepherd (15) and Brad Wood took the score to 41 for 6 before Lewis was out. In strode John Hall to join Brad Wood and he set about the bowlers with nothing to lose. John hit 91 from just 67 balls with no less than 18 boundaries, and he was supported well by Brad at the other end who scored 40 priceless runs. When Brad was finally out, we'd pushed the score on to 139 for 7, but John wasn't finished yet. He got us up to 170 before he was out, then the last 3 departed quickly to leave us on 172 all out. It was only an average score but better than we could have expected at 11 for 5. In reply, Garforth started rapidly and soon reached 77 for 2 when opener Hassan Ali was out. Wickets then fell fairly regularly after that and a tight finish looked on the cards, but Shahid Saleem hit an unbeaten 61 to see Garforth home by 3 wickets. It was a setback in our title charge, but we still have a 23 point lead at the top of the table with plenty of time to the end of the season. Congratulations to John Hall for his superb knock of 91, backed up by 4 wickets.

Wet Washout

On Sunday 24th July, the Sunday team game against neighbours Higham was sadly abandoned without a ball being bowled due to rain.

Men March On

Once again our Saturday team took maximum points, this time away at relegation threatened Bullcroft Main on Saturday 23rd July. For a change we lost the toss, and we were asked to bat first by the Bullcroft skipper. This would soon turn out to be a bad move as we hit 239 for just 3 wickets from 38 overs, based on a magnificent undefeated century from Josh Abson with exactly 100 not out from just 55 balls. In reply, Bullcroft had no answer as they sank to 36 for 7, before a mini revival, led by Tom Guy with 40, pushed the score along to 84. Batting centurion Josh Abson was the bowling destroyer, with 6 for 43 from his 13 overs. Only one other batter (Matthew Williamson with 10) managed double figures as Bullcroft were bowled out for 107 to give Stainborough a massive 132 run win. Another 16 points gives Stainborough a big lead at the head of the table, with the season drawing to a climax. Well done lads on another good win. You can see the scorecard from the game here

Ladies At the Double

After maintaining their 100% record against Darfield on 21st July, our ladies went one better 2 days later away at Fishlake, with another fine win by 46 runs. As ever, we batted first and posted 315, then restricted Fishlake to 269 to gain our 6th win from 6 in an incredible season. With one game to go, it seems inevitable that Stainborough will take the title in a magnificent first season for the team.

Receiving End

After hammering 341 the previous week, our Sunday team found themselves on the receiving end at home to Oughtibridge on Sunday 17th July. Our visitors attacked from the start with a 95 run opening partnership in only 11 overs, led by Joel Wake with 63 from 38 balls. Fellow opener Ashley Naseby then took on the job and hit an undefeated 162 from 107 balls as Oughtibridge finished on 303 for 6. We'll not mention the bowling figures this week, except to say that our lads toiled hard in hot sun against a batter in top form. In reply, it was always going to be difficult, but we managed a creditable 215 all out with 7 double figure scores, led by Steve Bullough (40), Ben Severn (35), Anthony Johnson (31) and Dean Warden (29). It was a good game, but when a good batsman comes off and hits the ball all over, it's always going to be difficult.

Win Number Eleven

On Saturday 16th July our Saturday team scored their 11th win from 13 matches at home to Rossington Main, to further increase their lead at the top of the table. For the umpteenth time this season we won the toss and asked the opposition to bat, then the bowling machine was cranked up on a warm afternoon. The start could not have been better as Anjad Ali was caught from the first ball of the match, then wickets fell regularly, as usual, with an entertaining fightback from Yousaf Rana who hit 5 sixes in a rapid 39. Josh Abson was the destroyer with 5 for 46, supported by John Hall with 3 for 65 as Rossington were bowled out for 137. In reply, we also had a bad start as Murray Raw was out in the first over, but Dave Webster (62) and Paul Brown (38) took the score to 64 before Paul was out. A typical Stainborough stumble followed, mainly due to Yousaf Rana with 5 for 41, as we were reduced to 113 for 6, but Dave Webster was still there and we eventually reached the target with 16 overs to spare to earn 16 points and several pints.

Bridge Beaten

On Tuesday 12th July at Stainborough we saw the two league topping ladies softball teams in the region go head to head in their race for the title. Worsbrough Bridge won the toss and decided to put Stainborough in. Stainborough got off to a strong start with Helen White and Nicola Sefton hitting 37 off the first 4 overs. Worsbrough had the strongest bowling attack that we’ve seen so far this year, but despite this Stainborough amassed a healthy 301 off their 16 overs, with Leah White slogging 36. 301 seemed a below par score, however due to some fantastic bowling by Helen White, Charlotte Plant, Leah White & Jessica Rayner the Stainborough ladies managed to limit Worsbrough to 246, taking 8 wickets in the process. Pick of the bowlers was Helen White with 4-25. It was a fantastic game played in a great spirit with some seriously talented cricketers on display across both sides.

Batting Bonanza in Denby Derby!

A huge total of 341 for 8 was posted by Stainborough on 10th July, on a hot Sunday afternoon at Stainborough in a massive 210 run win against nearby Denby. After Stainborough won the toss and batted, a remarkable performance saw no less than five batters score at more than a run a ball. In batting order, the belligerent batters were Paul Brown (44 from 26 balls), Brandon Fearn (56 from 30), Steve Bullough (27 from 24), Josh Abson (72 not out from 60) and Jack Steers (60 not out from 35). Anthony Johnson chipped in with 35 from 36 balls, just missing out on the run a ball statistic. Josh and Jack added 112 in an unbroken 9th wicket partnership as they flailed the ball all over the place. In amongst the carnage Nico Panzzolo managed to take 4 for 65 from his 8 overs, as Denby used no less than 9 bowlers in an attempt to stem the flow of runs. In reply, Denby had a go but they were never going to get near the target in the face of good bowling from our lads. Despite an aggressive 63 from opener and skipper James Gumpert, the next highest score was 16 as Denby lost wickets regularly, and they were eventually bowled out for 131 to give Stainborough a huge winning margin. The wickets were shared around, with the pick of the bowlers being Dean Warden with 3 for 38. A fine win in front of a big crowd on a perfect Sunday afternoon for cricket at Stainborough. You can see the impressive scorecard from the game here.

Stainborough at the Double

Stainborough clinched their first double of the season with an away win at Thurnscoe on a hot and sunny 9th July. Once again we won the toss and asked the opposition to bat, and Thurnscoe this time fared a little better than back in April when they were bowled out for 40. It was a strange scorecard as Thurnscoe slumped to 20 for 4 before a rapid aggressive partnership of 85 between Whitehurst (50) and Rowe (34) took the score to 105 from only 17 overs, and a big score looked possible. Step forward Anthony Johnson (4 for 22), who dismissed both batters in successive overs, and the last 6 wickets fell for just 30 to leave Thurnscoe 135 all out. In reply we also made hard work of it as we stumbled to 46 for 4, but Josh Abson then took the bowling apart to hammer 70 from just 60 balls in a partnership of 82. Josh was supported well by Danny Baker with an unbeaten 24, and he deservedly hit the winning run as we reached the target with 4 wickets and 20 overs to spare. Another full 16 point victory cements our place at the top of the table, once again well done Stainborough CC. You can see the scorecard from the game here.

Back on the Rails

Stainborough's title charge got back on the rails on Saturday 2nd July in a hard-fought win against Old Sharlston. Once again we won the toss and inserted the opposition, and the bowling machine was soon up to full performance as Old Sharlston lost their first 2 wickets without a run on the board. Berlin Bernadin (44) was instrumental in a recovery, but only Ajit Sukumaran (22) could stay with him as Old Sharlston were bowled out for just 112. Spinner Joe McLee was the main bamboozler with 5 for 46 from 11 overs. Our reply was not without a wobble, but a solid score from Dave Webster (36) and a rapid unbeaten 25 from Brad Wood saw us through to win the game and take another full load of 16 points. The result gives us a 25 point lead at the top of the table, well done to the team for another great result.

Second Defeat

Stainborough sadly fell to only our second defeat of the season away at Streethouse on 25th June. After winning the toss and batting, we were soon in trouble as both openers had gone with the score on just 7, but then a recovery partnership between Dave Webster (51) and Josh Abson (21) took the score to 72 before Josh departed. Lewis Shepherd then took over and hammered an undefeated 74 as Stainborough posted a challenging score of 191 for 7. In reply, Streethouse hit 195 for 7 to win the game with 3 balls to spare. It's never good to lose a game, but the 5 bonus we picked up softened the blow a little as we maintain a 12 point gap at the top of the table. Well done to Lewis Shepherd for a fine not out knock.

Bradfield Beaten

On a lovely sunny afternoon in the Peak District at Bradfield on 19th June, Stainborough pulled off a superb win against the hosts at their beautiful ground. After winning the toss and electing to bat first, we amassed a daunting total of 227 for 8 from our 40 overs, largely due to a fine opening partnership between Murray Raw (62) and fellow Commoner Dave Webster (56). Later on, 'keeper Brandon Fearn hit 48 to boost the score to 227 for 8 wickets when our overs ran out. In reply, there was little resistance as only number 3 Arthur Evans (35) and number 9 Harry Crossley (56) made decent scores, and Bradfield were bowled out for 151 from 30 overs. Star bowler for Stainborough was once again Josh Abson with 5 for 25 from his 8 overs. A fine win to complete a hat trick of wins over the weekend for our Saturday, Sunday and Ladies teams, well done to you all.

Barnby Beaten

Our ladies team pulled off another comprehensive win on 19th June away at Barnby Dun. Batting first, Stainborough hit 170 for 4 to give us a net score of 350. Once again Leah White starred with a swashbuckling 64 in no time at all, and Leah was supported by Jade Walker with 39 and Helen White with 33 as Stainborough posted a challenging total. In reply, Barnby Dun lost wickets regularly as they reached a net score of 259 to lose by 91 runs. Pick of the Stainborough bowlers was Helen White with 3 for 10 from her 4 overs. Well done to the ladies for maintaining their winning run and their place at the top of the table.

Bowling Machine

Stainborough's bowlers hit the stumps no less than 7 times on Saturday 18th June, as they comprehensively defeated second placed Horbury Bridge in a top of the table clash at Stainborough. Once again we won the toss and asked the opposition to bat first, and it turned out to be a good decision. Horbury Bridge scored fairly quickly, but lost wickets regularly to good accurate bowling from Lewis Shepherd (4 for 39) and John Hall (3-30) as they were dismissed for 158, which was never going to be enough. Lewis, Josh and John all hit the stumps twice each, and Steve Bullough also clattered them once. Pick of the batters was opener and 'keeper David Shaw with 43, but there were only two other scores of more than 20. In reply, there was always a risk of rain intervening, so our batters had to get a move on, and in Paul Brown we have the ideal batter for the circumstances. He hammered 77 unbeaten runs from just 71 balls, putting on 83 with Jon Pepper and then 62 undefeated with Josh Abson to win the match. Another full house 16 point win opened up a big gap at the top of the table, once again well done lads!

Swaine Swatted

A second comprehensive victory for Stainborough in successive days on Sunday 12th June, against near neighbours Hoylandswaine at Stainborough. Our neighbours won the toss and batted, and looked to be in line for a good score as the openers added 43, but then wickets began to fall regularly. Hoylandswaine slipped to 78 for 6, with only Oliver Thomas (48) putting undue pressure on our scorer. Eventually 'Swaine were bowled out for 135 in just 27 overs, a very gettable target. Our bowlers shared out the wickets, with a notable performance from Anthony Johnson (3 for 34). In Stainborough's reply, opener and skipper Jon Pepper swatted 19 from the first over as Stainborough raced away. Eventually Jon was run out for 34, to be replaced by his son Jack to join belligerent Paul Brown who was scoring at a run a ball as Stainborough chased down the runs. When Jack Pepper departed it was left to Dan Baker to score a quick 17 not out to overtake the target, for a 7 wicket 6 point win in only 19 overs. Paul Brown finished on a superb undefeated 64 from only 62 balls.

Notton Nobbled

For the 7th time in 8 games our Saturday team bowled out the opposition, and this time it was Notton who suffered as they were bowled out for 114 chasing 181 to win. After having been put in, Stainborough made a stuttering start as Paul Brown and Murray Raw departed early on, then a decent partnership between skipper Josh Abson (25) and Jon Pepper (29) took the score to 68 before another stutter saw us subside to 98 for 6. Lewis Shepherd (67) and Brad Wood (25) quickly put on 63 to add respectability and we finished on 180 all out. In reply, Notton were soon in trouble as they sank to 24 for 5, and despite a mini recovery spearheaded by Parry (33) Notton found themselves 9 down for just 88 runs. Alex Hughes plundered a rapid 35 not out towards the end, before Notton were finally dismissed for 114. Pick of our bowling was skipper Josh Abson with 6 for 37, well supported by John Hall with 4 for 56. Another full 16 points were brought back to Stainborough for the runaway league leaders.

Rain Day!

It was a complete washout on Sunday 5th June, as heavy rain put paid to our ladies game away at Fishlake and our home game later on against Cawthorne. The ladies game will be rearranged for a later date, to be confirmed.

Comeback Kings

On Saturday 4th June Stainborough came storming back from last week's defeat at Crofton, completely outplaying Newton Hill in a one-sided game. Once again Stainborough won the toss and inserted the opposition, then the opening attack of Jack Pepper and Josh Abson got to work. Newton Hill lost a wicket in the first over, which was to be the start of the procession. The batters had no answer as Newton Hill subsided to an incredible 26 for 9 after just 17 overs, but then a spirited last wicket partnership of 29 between Qasim Hussain (22 not out) and Usman Hussain (10) took the score to 55 all out after 25 overs. Of the bowlers Josh Abson finished with 5 for 30, Jack Pepper with 4 for 8 and a cameo 2 ball spell from Paul Brown broke the last wicket partnership. The target of 56 to win was never going to be enough as Jon Pepper and Paul Brown strode out for the chase, and Paul hit a couple of boundaries in typical fashion before being caught. Chairman Murray Raw then came in and hammered the ball to all parts, scoring 42 from just 22 balls as Stainborough took just 10 overs to win the game and take the full 16 points to cement their place at the top of the table.

Bonus Game

On Bank Holiday Friday 3rd June, there's a bonus game at Stainborough where a Yorkshire Under 13 semi final is taking place from 11am. The bar will be open all afternoon, so if you fancy a beer in the sun, pop down and watch some cricket at the same time.

End of the Run

Stainborough's magnificent 5 match winning streak came to an end at Crofton on Saturday 29th June. Fielding a weakened team due to several extra-curricula activities, Stainborough looked to have started well as they won the toss and asked Crofton to bat. Jack Pepper knocked over the first 3 batsman, and Paul Brown, on a rare excursion away from behind the stumps, skittled 2 more as Crofton slumped to 87 for 6. However, good scores from Usman Zahir (58 not out), Zia Ullah (41) and Shabaz Ali (35 not out) boosted the score to a daunting 197 for 7 at the close. In reply, Stainborough made a slow but safe start, but eventually the wickets started to fall and Stainborough subsided to just 75 all out. Top scorer was opener Joe McLee with 20, and Moshin Raja (5 for 9) and Asif Sheraz (4 for 10) were the pick of the bowlers. It was a disappointing result but Stainborough maintain their place as league leaders. On Sunday 29th June our lads convincingly defeated Thurgoland by 104 runs. After losing Brandon Fearn early on, Murray Raw and Dan Baker added a rapid 44, then a few lusty blows from Glenn Walton pushed the score along to 101-4. A few wickets then fell quickly, but Josh Abson hammered an unbeaten 75 from just 48 balls to take us to a very competitive 217 for 8. In reply, only skipper Dave Sedgwick showed any resistance with 42 quick runs, but the remaining batters couldn't cope with good bowling from Dan Baker (3 for 38) and a remarkable 3 over spell from Brandon Fearn. Brandon took 3 wickets for just 6 runs to close out the Thurgoland innings for 113, to give us a welcome 6 points.

White Whirlwind!

Our ladies played a friendly against Green Moor on Friday evening, and once again Leah White broke her own batting record. Green Moor batted first and scored 215 for 13 in their 16 overs, in the face of fantastic bowling from the Stainborough ladies, led by Charlotte Plant with 3 for 7, and supported by Leah and Helen White who both chipped in with 2 wickets each. In reply, Stainborough posted a monster score of 354 in their 16 overs. Having smashed a Yorkshire Softball record of 54 the previous week, Leah White went one better with an unbelievable 62 off just 4 overs. Jade Walker made a quick fire 23 to keep Stainborough unbeaten for the season. Well done Leah, once again!

Five Straight Wins!

A fifth win in a row for runaway league leaders Stainborough away at Pledwick on 21st May. After being asked to bat by Pledwick, Stainborough made a less than convincing start as wickets fell regularly, but double figure scores from Paul Brown (19), Josh Abson (26) and Dan Baker (27) added some respectively to the score. A late flurry from top scorer Lewis Shepherd (32) took us to 157 all out, which was a reasonable but gettable total. In reply, Pledwick lost an opener straight away, but a solid partnership between Liam Ineson (48) and James Brook (22) looked to be taking Pledwick to victory. Jack Pepper and Josh Abson finally broke the partnership, and most of the remaining batters departed without causing undue stress for the scorer. There was some resistance from Peter Thompson (19 not out) but he eventually ran out of partners as Pledwick were bowled out 38 runs short for 119. Pick of the bowlers were once again Josh Abson with 5 for 27 and Jack Pepper with 4 for 45. Stainborough cemented their place at the top of the table with a 15 point win, well done once again. The scheduled Sunday game on 22nd May against Shelley was cancelled because of the opposition's cup commitments, and Shelley conceded the match to give us a 6 point win in the worst possible way.

Peter Landon Funeral

The funeral of former player and club president Peter Landon was held on Monday 23rd May with a private cremation at Barnsley crematorium on 23rd May 2022, followed by refreshments for all at the Strafford Arms, Stainborough from 10:30am.

Double Sunday

On Sunday 15th May we had two home games, with mixed results. In the morning our Ladies comprehensively defeated Doncaster Shield Maidens, hitting 151 for 3 to give us a net score of 336. Leah White hammered 54 and Helen White 32 in a powerful batting performance. In reply, Doncaster managed just 65 for 7, to give them a net score of 230 and a 106 run defeat. The wickets were shared around but Jess Rayner was the pick with 3 for 10 from her 4 overs. Congratulations to Leah White whose 54 was the highest ever score in the Yorkshire Softball League since its inception in 2018. Well done Leah! Later on in the afternoon our Sunday team were easily beaten by Rockingham, who play their home games at our ground, turning our away game into a home one. We batted first after winning the toss, but we never came to terms with some fiery pace bowling and wickets fell regularly as we slumped to 40 for 7. A spirited 22 from skipper Matt Whittaker raised faint hope, but eventually we were bowled out for 68. Rockingham knocked off the runs easily, reaching 69 for 1 off 15 overs, with Jack Riley hitting a rapid 45 not out.

Four on the Bounce

After a well observed minute's silence for former president Peter Landon, who passed away on Wednesday 11th May, our Saturday team once again served up a good 16 point win for the 4th time this season to maintain their 100% win and points record. This time, on 14th May, it was Garforth on the receiving end. Our opposition won the toss and chose to bat, and at one stage it looked like a dodgy decision as Garforth slumped to 37 for 3, but opener Hassan Ali (54) then added 89 with Shahid Saleem (70) to set what looked like a challenging position in the game. However, once Hassan was out on 124 the runs dried up, and the next highest score was 10 as Garforth were bowled out for 168, a very gettable score but the first time in 4 games that Stainborough had conceded more than 100 runs. Joe McLee was the pick of the bowlers with 4 for 45, but Doc Baker chipped in with 2 for 4 off just 3 overs to finish off the innings. In reply, we made a solid start before 'keeper Paul Brown (19) departed with the score on 32 and chairman Murray Raw (19) on 52, then Perry Youel (62) and Josh Abson (62 not out) came together and cleaned up the bowling in a partnership of 92 to almost win the game, but sadly Perry was out just before the close, leaving Joe McLee to win the game with Josh. A fine victory once again, sending the lads to the top of the table with a 100% record.

Peter Landon

We are devastated to bring you the news that former long standing player, member, committee man and president, Peter Landon, passed away on the morning of 11th May after a long illness. Peter was a superb cricketer with bat and ball, one of the best local footballers never to turn professional, and a renowned local architect for many years. He will be sadly missed by his wife Christine and his children Marc, Jon and Julia, who scored for Stainborough for many years while Peter was playing. Sincere condolences to Christine, Marc, Jon, Julia and all the family and friends. RIP Peter Landon, you will be missed by all at Stainborough Cricket Club, thank you for your decades of loyal service.

Winning Debut for Ladies

For the first time in over 163 years, a ladies' team represented Stainborough CC in a home game against Adwick on Thursday 12th May. The 8 a side softball game used Pairs rules, which caused untold stress to Luke Selwood, Murray Raw and Ian Fletcher in the score box! Basically, each team starts with 200 runs and the 8 batters bat in pairs for 4 overs each. If they're out they keep batting but lose 5 runs. On the fielding side, each bowler can bowl up to 4 overs from the same end, wides and no balls count 2 runs, except in the last over where normal cricket rules apply. You can see why the scorers were severely challenged! Anyway, batting first, Stainborough added 103 to their initial 200 from their 16 overs, making a total of 303. Adwick then tried to chase down the runs, but managed to add only 73 runs to give Stainborough a win by 30 runs. Well done to the Stainborough Ladies on a victorious debut game!

Full House for Higham Game

On Sunday 8th May our Sunday team took on near neighbours Higham on a packed afternoon at a sunny Stainborough. After Higham won the toss and elected to bat, things looked ominous for Stainborough as opener Andrew Gregory started to hit the ball to all parts. He was destined to carry his bat for an undefeated 55, but on a bizarre scorecard the next highest scorer made just 8 as Higham were bowled out for only 87. Joe McLee took an incredible 5 for 10 from 6 overs, and Dean Warden returned 3 for 6 from only 3 overs as the Higham batters were annihilated. Chasing 88 to win, Stainborough soon drooped to 8 for 3 and it looked like an unlikely defeat might be on the cards, but Ben Severn (23 not out) supported 'keeper Paul Brown in a match winning undefeated partnership of 81, with Paul hammering 57 off just 32 balls with 8 boundaries to win the game. It was great to see so many spectators from both clubs, and there was a real family atmosphere as kids played on the outfield during the tea interval in the game. It was a great afternoon, just what village cricket is all about!

Bullcroft Bullied!

It was carnage again at Stainborough on May 7th, as our first team rolled over the opposition for a double figure score for the 3rd time in three matches. This time it was Bullcroft Main who suffered as they managed just 25 from 12 overs. Once again the destroyers were Jack Pepper with 5 wickets for just 4 runs in 5 overs, and Josh Abson with 4 for 11. The Bullcroft batters simply had no answer as they slumped to 25 all out, with no batter making double figures. Top scorer was Callum Dobson with just 9 in a very one-sided affair. In reply, a typical Stainborough wobble saw us reduced to 8 for 2 as Paul Brown and Dave Webster departed quickly, but Jon Pepper and Josh Abson added the necessary 18 runs to win the game in just 11 overs. In an incredible start to the season, Stainborough have now taken 30 wickets for just 140 runs in the first three games, an average of less than 5 runs per wicket!

The Fairway Hotel

We are delighted to announce that the Fairway Hotel has kindly agreed to sponsor the club for the next 3 seasons. Based on the A628 Barnsley to Manchester road at Dodworth, Barnsley, the Fairway is a high quality hotel with pub and restaurant, with the renowned Bluebell Banqueting Suite on the same site. The Bluebell is the venue for our annual Sporting Dinner each October, and is a fine venue for your romantic wedding, birthday party or business conference. Thanks you to Spencer Smith and his staff for supporting our cricket club and proudly displaying their name on our shirts for the next three seasons.

Sunday Win

On Sunday 1st May our Sunday team completed a first win of the season after bowling Oughtibridge out for 131, with Steve Bullough doing the damage with 5 for 22. Joal Wake (68), Lewis Wake (22) and Alan Wake (11) were the only double figure scorers as the other 8 batters totalled just 13, then a typically belligerent innings from our 'keeper Paul Brown saw us home. Brandon Fearn played a good knock later on with an undefeated 21 to win the game.

Rossington Routed!

Another fine 16 point win by our Saturday team at Rossington on Saturday April 30th. After once again winning the toss and inserting the opposition, Stainborough bowled Rossington out for just 75 in 24 overs - the second successive game where we have dismissed the opposition for double figure totals. Destroyer in chief was Josh Abson with 6 for 32 in his 12 overs, backed up by Jack Pepper with 3 for 34. Only Wiqas Sikander (22) and Waqas Alam (19 not out) scored double figures for Rossington, the remaining 8 batters contributing just 27 runs between them! In reply, Stainborough also lost wickets regularly, but a solid partnership between Dave Webster (25) and Josh Abson (22) took Stainborough to the brink of victory. There was still time for a wobble as the partnership was broken and Shahid Akram departed for a duck, but Danny Baker and Jack Steers steered the team home to a 4 wicket victory.

Thurnscoe Stunned

On a sad day at Stainborough caused by the death of long term supporter Jim Mann in the week before the game, it was a stunning opening day victory for our Saturday team at Stainborough on 23rd April, as we comprehensively annihilated Thurnscoe Institute. A one minute silence was held by both teams in a tribute to Jim before the game, and in a delayed start caused by navigational difficulties Stainborough won the toss and duly asked Thurnscoe to bat. Jack Pepper and Josh Abson opened the bowling, and it wasn't long before the Thurnscoe batters, one after the other, were taking the long trudge back to the pavilion. Thurnscoe subsided to 17 for 6, then to 24 for 8, and eventually they were bowled out in 16 overs for just 40, with only Bradley Newton (13) making double figures. In reply, Stainborough lost debutant Shahid Akram for 5, but Jon Pepper (10 not out) and Perry Youel (23 not out) knocked off the score in only 10 overs. A full 16 point victory for our lads to put us joint top of the table on the opening day. Thank you to Ian Fletcher for sponsoring the match ball for the game, and RIP Jim Mann.

Jim Mann

We are sad to have to announce that long standing supporter Jim Mann passed away on Thursday 22nd April 2022. Jim was a fixture in front of the pavilion on match days, with his wife Sylvia and their little dog as they watched just about every home game, and they also travelled to several away games to support our lads. The players always appreciated their support and it will be strange to play games without them willing the team on from the pavilion. Sincere condolences to Sylvia and all Jim's family and friends, RIP Jim Mann.

New Scoreboard

We've recently installed a new scoreboard for the 2022 season, the latest step in our continual development of the ground and our facilities. The scoreboard was supplied by Durant Cricket and is a significant investment by the club. Thank you to Ian Fletcher for the design of the previous scoreboard which was in use for over 10 years, and also to ABI Electronics Ltd of Dodworth for manufacturing it free of charge. The new scoreboard will be controlled by the PCS Pro scoring software supplied by Play Cricket.

Ladies Cricket at Stainborough

We are delighted to announce that we will be running a softball ladies cricket team for the 2022 season. You can see the proposed fixtures here. More details will be released prior to the start of the season, but if you'd like to play please contact Alison Sefton (07986 855550, alison_sefton@hotmail.co.uk) for more information.

Shelley Match Rearranged

It was a disappointing start to the 2022 season for our Sunday team on Easter Sunday, as our scheduled opponents Shelley had a cup game on the same day and could not field two teams on the Bank Holiday weekend. As a result the game has been rearranged and will now be played on Sunday 22nd May at Stainborough, start time 2pm.

Match Ball Sponsorship

Thank you to Ian Fletcher, BM Plastering, Yes Waste, Barry Hinchliffe, ENCS Ltd, Yorkshire Embroidery Services, 4G1 Player Development, George Sharman & Son, JJ's Café, Wishing Well Selby, White Rose Building Contractors, The Comedy Shop, Pieminister, Curry Mahal, Simon Hall and Shane Abson for agreeing to sponsor a match ball for the coming season. Would any of our friends, members or supporters like to sponsor a match ball in any of the remaining matches, which you can see here. The cost is £30 for Saturday and Sunday team games, or £20 for ladies' team games, and includes coverage on social media, our website and at the ground, and a free pint. Please contact Josh Abson 07447 987323 for further details or to book a match.

Fixtures Released

The fixtures for the 2022 season have been released, and we start off with a Sunday team home game against near neighbours Shelley on Sunday 17th April 2022. The following weekend our Saturday team will tackle Thurnscoe at Stainborough on Saturday 23rd April.

Winter Shutdown

The club is now closed for the winter following the end of the 2021 season. We will be open again from mid-April 2022 for the new season. Fixtures and events will be posted here when available. We would like to wish all members, supporters, players and their families a very happy enjoyable winter season, a happy Christmas and a successful year for 2022. See you in April.

Happy New Year!

The players and staff at Stainborough Cricket Club would like to wish you all a very Happy New Year, we hope that 2022 will be a better year for all of us, and we look forward to seeing you in April.

Happy Christmas!

The players and staff at Stainborough Cricket Club would like to wish you all a very Happy Christmas, enjoy your celebrations and have a great time!

Richard Mills Birthday

Monday 13th December would have been the 46th birthday of our late friend and former player Richard Mills. Sammy Dymock would like as many of his friends as possible to have a pint in the Tommy Treddlehoyle at Pogmoor, at 7pm on Monday evening, as a mark of respect to Richard. Please come along and have a couple of pints and remember our great friend who passed away earlier this year.

Sporting Dinner

On Friday 8th October the club held its annual sporting dinner at the Fairway, attended by 170 guests, who were superbly fed and entertained the entire evening. The main speaker was hilarious doctor Kevin Jones, backed up by comedian Mick Miller who attracted his own band of fans which swelled the numbers for the evening. It was a great and successful night, and the organisers will be down to work planning next season's dinner once they've recovered. Thank you to all guests for coming and parting with their cash to make it a great financial success too. See you next year.

Paul Pyne

It is with great sadness that we must announce that we've lost another former Stainborough great, Paul Pyne, who passed away earlier this week. Paul played for Stainborough for many years and was a real character at the club and around the area. He was much loved by all, and was a regular spectator at the club after his playing days finished. Sincere condolences to Paul's friends and family, we will miss you. RIP Paul Pyne.

Gerald Webster Memorial Game

On Saturday 11th September, our Saturday team came out on top on an emotional day in Gerald Webster's memorial game against Thurnscoe, in front of a huge crowd at Stainborough. Injured non-playing skipper for the day was Gerald's son Dave, and his widow Margaret was also in attendance. After being asked to bat, Stainborough took full advantage when Paul Brown battered a car in the car park with the first ball of the match to get off the mark. He continued in the same vein, and reached 50 from just 20 balls before eventually being out for 77 with the score on 93 for 4. Step forward Perry Youel, who hammered the ball to all parts to score a magnificent 114 not out off 99 balls. He had some support from Joe McLee (38) Matthew Whitaker (18) and a rapid 14 from L Selwood at the end, and Stainborough posted a mammoth 271 all out of the penultimate ball of the innings. In reply, Thurnscoe tried to make a game of it and started well to reach 50 without loss in just 5 overs. A flurry of wickets then saw them subside to 72 for 5 and further to 129 for 9, before a forlorn but entertaining last wicket partnership of 22 took the score to 151 all out. Pick of our bowlers were John Hall with 3 for 30 and Luke Selwood with 3 for 49, as Stainborough won by 120 runs and the festivities began. Thank you to all visitors and former players for your support for club legend Gerald, and above all thank you to Margaret Webster for gracing the club with your presence, it was a pleasure to see you, RIP Gerald.

Brown Blasts Off

On Saturday 18th September our Sunday team took on Savile Gym in a re-arranged Sunday game, and once again it was opening batter Paul Brown who started the fireworks. Batting first, he decimated the bowling in an opening partnership of 114 with Jon Pepper (29), hitting 82 runs in just 47 balls. A series of double figure partnerships took our score to a daunting 234 for 8 at the close, with Matt Whitaker contributing a good 29. In reply, Savile Gym started solidly, but were always behind the required rate. Good bowling from Josh Abson (4 for 25) and Joe McLee (3 for 54) saw Gym struggle to 157 for 9, with the last pair having to survive a tense 3 overs to secure a losing draw. Another great aggressive innings from Paul Brown to add to his run of recent high scores.

High Scoring at 'Swaine

The next day our Sunday team travelled the short distance to Hoylandswaine, where they were beaten by a strong 'Swaine side in a high scoring game. We posted 221 for 7 in our 35 overs, with Steve Bullough top scoring with 78. Good contributions also came from Lee White (38) and Lewis Shepherd (21). The target of 222 to win was daunting, but opener Josh Ibbotson hit 80 and shared partnerships of 92 and 80 for the 1st 2 wickets. A late flurry by Dan Hoyle saw Hoylandswaine over the line with 1 over to spare in a good game.

Gerald Webster Memorial Game

The last league game of the 2021 season is at Stainborough against Thurnscoe, starting at 1pm. The game will be played in memory of former player and club President Gerald Webster, a Stainborough legend who passed away in February this year. His son Dave Webster will captain our team on the day, his widow Margaret will be there, and the Barnsley Chronicle will be in attendance. Food will be served and refreshments will be available in the bar. There will be a minute's applause before the game, and we'll all be having a good drink after the game in Gerald's memory. It would be great to see as many retired players/members/friends as possible at the game, to celebrate Gerald's life. Gerald represented the club with great distinction for many decades. A mild mannered bank manager in the week, he transformed into a fiercely competitive and mildly eccentric cricketer at the weekends. Gerald batted in the middle order for our 1st XI for years before stepping down to the 2nd team latterly. He last turned out in 2018 playing 17 league games at the age of 80 (with a top score of 38!) He also represented Yorkshire Over 50s for a number of years. He never ever retired from the game he loved. Gerald was a gentleman, an amazing servant of the club and above all someone who adored the game of cricket. He is greatly missed by all at the club, and our thoughts remain with David, Margaret and Helen. RIP Gerald.

Ackworth Double

A fine away victory on Saturday 4th September as our lads completed a high scoring double over local rivals Ackworth. Batting first, our star man was Extras with a fine undefeated 51, including 18 classic byes and 22 sumptuous wides. Extras was supported well with another great innings from evergreen Dave Webster, who hit 55. Other good knocks came from chairman Murray Raw (43), Daniel Baker (31), and 25 each from Paul Brown and Josh Abson. In the end we posted 249-6 from our 46 overs, 1 more than our score of 248-3 at home to Ackworth back in June. In reply there were few scares for Stainborough as wickets fell regularly, and after 27 overs Ackworth were 129-9. A spirited last wicket partnership took the score to 159 before Josh Wood had to retire, to give Stainborough a full 16 point win. Pick of our bowlers was Josh Abson, with an astonishing 7 for 66 from his 14 overs. Well done Josh, Dave and of course Extras, who put in a good comeback today after a run of low scores. On Sunday, Stainborough lost out to neighbours Cawthorne in a high-scoring game. Batting first, we hit 220 for 6 from our 35 overs, with openers Paul Brown (52) and Jon Pepper (51) putting on exactly 100 for the first wicket. Joe McLee (33) and Matt Whitaker (23) made good contributions in the middle order, and a rapid unbeaten 29 from Steve Bullough saw us set Cawthorne a daunting target of 221 to win. They started well with a rapid 37 from Spencer Wiles, but then subsided to 55 for 3 and a win looked unlikely. Kade Fletcher changed the complexion of the innings with a belligerent 39 from 28 balls, but it was Thom Macrow who secured the win with a fine unbeaten 79 from 58 balls.

Narrow Defeat

On Saturday 28th August we entertained top of the table Fenwick in our penultimate home game of the season. Having been put in to bat, Stainborough made the worst possible start as captain Jon Pepper was caught at slip off the first ball of the match. Dave Webster then steadied the innings with a fine 52 in partnerships of 23, 45 and 34 with Paul Brown (15), Perry Youel (17) and Lewis Shepherd (26), but with the score on 102 for 3 Lewis was out. Dave Webster added another 26 with Tom Reid, but the last few batsmen departed soon after to leave Stainborough on 143 all out, a gettable score for the league leaders. Fenwick started well in their run chase as they reached 47 before the first wicket went down, and on 106 for 2 they looked to be cruising to victory. However, some aggressive bowling from Tom Reid (3-17) saw Fenwick drop to 116 for 5, before another solid partnership of 24 brought them to the brink of victory. There was still time for another couple of wickets, before Fenwick finally overhauled the score to finish on 147 - 3 to take the points. It was a typical game where another 20 or 30 runs for Stainborough would have made things much more interesting. On Sunday, a great team performance saw the Sunday side pick up a good win at local rivals Cawthorne, who were bowled out for 179 in their innings. Destroyers were Paul Brown, taking a rest from wicket keeping, with 4 for 24, and Steve Bullough with 4 for 31. Our bowlers simply aimed at the stumps, and as a result picked up 4 wickets clean bowled and 5 LBWs. In reply Jon Pepper (24) and Paul Brown (32) put on 35 for the first wicket, then Murray Raw (31) and Pep took the score to 104. A mini wobble followed, but a partnership of 62 between Dave Webster (38) and Matt Whitaker (21) took the team to the brink of victory before both were out, leaving Steve Bullough and Lewis Shepherd to complete the job.

Double Header

A double header of Pontefract league matches was on the fixture list for Saturday 21st August and the next day, as a covid postponed game against Horbury Bridge was rearranged from 10th July to Sunday 22nd August. First up was Old Sharlston away on Saturday, where we managed 101-2 from 24 overs before the rain came and forced the match to be abandoned. On Sunday in the re-arranged Horbury Bridge game, our opponents managed just 75 all out after winning the toss and batting, and it would have been even worse without an impressive 52 from opener Jack Machin, who was 9th out. Tom Reid with 5-29, and Joe McLee with 4-21, were the main destroyers as the next highest score after Machin was just 5! When we batted, an adjustment to the order saw Tom Reid open and hit a quick 15 as we slumped to 38-3, but Murray Raw (24 not out) and skipper Jon Pepper (21 not out) put the game to bed with an unbeaten partnership of 41.

Rare Defeat

A rare defeat for our Saturday team at home to Barnby Dun on 14th August in a very low scoring game. Batting first, there was little sign of the carnage to come as Stainborough openers Murray Raw (15) and Jon Pepper (10) put on 24 for the first wicket, then Jon tool the score to 40 with Dave Webster (25). When Dave was out on 59, an unbelievable slide happened, as Stainborough lost 5 wickets for no runs as they slipped from 59-2 to 59-7. The remaining batsmen only managed a further 4 runs between them as we were bowled out for just 63. Chief destroyer was Joe Dixon with an astonishing 6 for 7 from just 5 overs. In reply, Barnby Dun lost 3 wickets to spirited bowling from our lads, but it was an impossible task and Barnby knocked of the runs in 27 overs to take the points. Next day's Sunday game against Barnsley Woolley was cancelled because of rain.

Huge Victory

A massive 198 win was the result of a great performance by our Saturday team away at Featherstone on 7th August. The home skipper won the toss and, unwisely as it would turn out, asked Stainborough to bat. There was little sign of the oncoming carnage as we subsided to 44-3, but then Murray Raw and Dave Webster took the score to 113 before club chairman Murray was out. Joe McLee strode out to bat, and mayhem ensued. In a partnership of 103 with Dave Webster, he hammered the ball all over and eventually finished on 92, sadly missing out on a hundred. Tom Reid added his customary lusty blows at the end to help Stainborough to a mammoth 273 for 6 from our 46 overs. In reply, Featherstone reached 36 with relatively few problems, but then the procession started as Tom Reid and Jack Pepper reduced them to 37-4. Featherstone couldn't recover, and wickets fell regularly as they were bowled out for just 75 to lose by 198 runs. Tom Reid finished with 6 for 39, and that man Joe McLee tool 3 for just 9 runs in 5 overs to crown a fine man-of-the-match performance. The scheduled Sunday game the next day against Hoylandswaine was cancelled due to rain.

Notton Nobbled

Our Saturday lads travelled to Notton and pulled off a good win with contributions from several players. Batting first, opener Murray Raw scored a solid 46 to see the score through to 114 in partnerships of 43 with Paul Brown (23) and 71 with Josh Abson (48). Wickets fell regularly after Murray was out, but a vicious 30 in just 12 balls from Tom Reid added match winning runs as we finished on 194 all out. Pick of the Notton bowlers was Brett Russell with 5 for 49. Notton tried hard in their reply, but they couldn't cope with the pace of Tom Reid who took 4-51 as Notton were reduced to 82 for 6. A mini recovery was led by Mike Pretorius with an unbeaten 36, but he ran out of partners as Notton were eventually bowled out for 137 in 36 overs. On Sunday at Stainborough, our Sunday team came out on top in a dramatic last over victory against neighbours Higham. Stainborough posted 160-8 in their 35 overs, with the runs spread around as no less than 6 players made double figure scores. In reply, Higham looked on course for victory as opener Michael Dixon hit 38 to help Higham to 92-3, but wickets fell regularly at the other end until Higham were 132 for 8 at the start of the final over, with victory out of reach but a draw still possible. With 5 balls to go Luke Selwood got rid of Philip Swann in a dramatic run out, and last batter Natalie Horner came out with 4 balls to face. It wasn't to be for her as she was bowled first ball by Steve Bullough, to win the game for Stainborough with just 3 balls left.

A Fine Win!

A fine win by 59 runs for Stainborough on Saturday 24th July as we entertained Pledwick. After winning the toss and batting on a cloudy afternoon, returning prodigal Paul Brown played in his usual manner to put on 69 with skipper Jon Pepper, who managed 9 but built the solid base that all teams need. Josh Abson with a run-a-ball 73 and Dave Webster with 42 ensured a healthy total of 223 for 8 from our 46 overs, despite a good performance with the ball from Paul Hanks who took 5-65 from his 11 overs. In reply, Pledwick slumped to 62-6 and defeat looked inevitable, but then Steve Cockell and Owen Leith came together and added a rapid 67 to push the score along to 157, in sight of an unlikely victory. Owen departed caught behind and Paul Hanks took up the challenge, but eventually Pledwick ran out of batsmen as the tail enders were mopped up to leave them on 164 all out. Good bowling performances by John Hall (3-20) and Luke Selwood (3-40) were the key to a great victory. The next day our Sunday team came out on top in a tight game against ground tenants Rockingham CC, who kindly agreed to play the game at Stainborough despite it being a home game for them. Stainborough batted first, and openers Murray Raw (33) and Steve Bullough (24) put on a decent 47 for the first wicket, before a fluent 34 from Joe McLee pushed the score on to a precarious 113-5. Wickets fell regularly after that, despite an unbeaten 17 from Jack Pepper, and we finished on 151 all out. Rockingham made a bad start, but a middle order recovery saw them reach 112 before the 5th wicket went, seemingly on course for victory. A flurry of wickets put paid to that however, and they were eventually bowled out for 133 to give Stainborough an 18 run win. Having top scored with the bat, Joe McLee took 4 for 21 to seal his big contribution to a good win.

Defeat at Newton Hill

Another disappointing defeat at Newton Hill on Saturday 18th July in a low scoring game. After winning the toss and batting, Newton Hill posted a reachable total of 163 all out, in the face of economical bowling from Tom Reid (1-26) and Jack Pepper (1-38). These two were backed up by new boy Dan Baker with an impressive 4-39, and evergreen Phil Archer with a wily 4-49. No batman really got on top of the bowling and the total should really have been reached with ease. However, when we batted we soon lost 3 quick wickets, but a superb knock of 69 from Ben Severn looked to have changed the game around in good partnerships with Dave Webster (18) and Tom Reid (25 not out). A victory was looking likely, but no less than 4 ducks put paid to our hopes as we fell short by just 17 runs. Alex Boardman was the destroyer in chief with 6-31 as he finished off our tail-enders.

Heroic Effort!

A heroic effort by our last wicket pair on Saturday 3rd July in a very narrow 8 run defeat to Calder Grove. The game hinged on a huge partnership of 129 between Jake Holliday (73) and Josh Buxton (59) who came together when Calder were in trouble at 31-4. They took the score to 160 before being separated, and a few lusty blows at the end took Calder to 191-9. Opening bowlers Tom Reid (1-36) and Jack Pepper (3-28) were intimidating and economical at the start, then Joe McLee took 4-41 to keep Stainborough in with a chance. When we batted, we made slow but steady progress, led by a sparkling 45 from Lee Ogden, until a cluster of middle and late order wickets saw us subside to 126-9. Then step forward Jack Pepper and Tom Reid. These two put on an undefeated 57 for the last wicket in a brave and heroic attempt to wrestle a victory from seemingly inevitable defeat. Sadly, they ran out of overs and the game was lost by just 8 runs. A good game, and credit to the ground staff for keeping the ground fit for play despite heavy rain until 30 minutes before the start.

Memorial 20-20 Match

On Friday 25th June we took on a Dodworth Old Boys team in a memorial 20-20 match at Stainborough, in memory of all Stainborough legends who have sadly passed away in recent times. Despite the very cold weather and the threat of rain, a huge crowd gathered to watch a thrilling game. After losing the toss, Stainborough were asked to bat by visiting skipper Lee White. It looked ominous for Stainborough when danger man Paul Brown was run out by Liam Wiles, to be closely followed by Liam McFadyen, Boeta Beukes, skipper Josh Abson and Dave Webster to leave us teetering at 38-5. Antony Clarke and Lewis Shepherd then took the score to 86-5 before Clarky had to retire on 30, then Lewis himself retired on 25 shortly afterwards with the score on 98. Steve Bamforth, Jack Pepper, Matt Rushforth, and Luke Selwood all departed without causing the scorer too many problems, but then the retired Antony Clarke and Lewis Shepherd returned to take the score to a challenging 123 from 18 overs when Antony was finally out with a top score of 47 off 32 balls - a great achievement in a game where batsmen had to retire on 25. In reply, the dangerous Liam Wiles opened with Tom Atkinson, and it was one of those games where we knew we were going to have to get him out cheaply if we were to have a chance of winning. And get him out we duly did, for 12 runs off 6 balls, caught behind by 'keeper Liam McFadyen. After that the Dodworth innings lost a bit of momentum, despite a belligerent 25 off 18 balls from Luke Bullingham who then had to retire. Joe McLee and Ryan Howarth batted well, but could not score boundaries against tight bowling from Josh Abson, Matt Rushforth, Boeta Beukes and Jack Pepper, with Steve Bamforth being the pick of the bowlers with 3-20 from 4 overs. Dodworth fell further and further behind the required rate, and eventually they finished on 112-6, 11 runs short, to give victory to Stainborough. It was a great game to watch, with high quality batting and bowling, and the huge crowd were entertained despite the winter conditions. Thank you to umpires Peter Boycott and David Wilson, to the players, guests and everyone who helped make this another great Stainborough occasion. We hope to see you again next year, hopefully in happier circumstances, and better weather!

Thurnscoe On Top

A disappointing defeat at Thurnscoe for our Saturday team on 26th June, in a game which could easily have been won. After being put in, Stainborough started badly and were soon 5-2 with both openers in the hut. A decent partnership between Josh Abson and, on his debut, Daniel Baker added 39, then Dave Webster (66) hit out with Daniel in support to add 83 for the 4th wicket, before Daniel was out for a stubborn 36. After that wickets fell fairly regularly as we limped to 191 all out. Pick of the bowlers was Ashley Newton with 5-51. The target could have been enough, but some dogged batting by Thurnscoe saw them reach the target with 3 overs to spare. We looked to be in with a chance at 68-3, but Rob Hart and David Rowe doubled the score before Rob was out, but David hit an undefeated 67 to seal the match. On Sunday, our lads pulled off a comprehensive winning draw against Thurgoland, after winning the toss and batting. It was carnage from the off as Paul Brown (54) and Steve Bullough (75) added 108 for the first wicket in just 11 overs. Young Jack Pepper chipped in with a fluent 40, and we finished on 210 for 5 from our 35 overs. In reply, Thurgoland tried hard but were never able to match the required rate in the face of accurate bowling from Luke Selwood, who conceded just 6 runs in 6 overs with 1 victim. Sunday debutant Daniel Baker was the pick of the bowlers with 4 for 41 as Thurgoland subsided to 139-9, narrowly avoiding an outright defeat.

Ackworth Annihilated

On Saturday 19th June we entertained near neighbours Ackworth, and came out with a comprehensive 135 run win. Ackworth won the toss and asked us to bat - a decision they would soon regret. Skipper Jon Pepper and Murray Raw put on a leisurely 28 before Pep was out, then Murray was unfortunately run out to leave the score at 44 for 2. Step forward Josh Abson and Lee Ogden, who hammered a magnificent partnership of 186 for the 3rd wicket to take the score to 230-3 when Lee was caught for a belligerent 88. Josh remained undefeated on 102, reaching his century with 1 ball to spare. The final score of 248-3 looked too difficult, and so it proved. Ackworth never looked like troubling the target, and wickets fell regularly despite no less than 6 double figure scores from their lads. The end came quickly, as Ackworth subsided from 96-6 to 113 all out in less than 5 overs. Our bowlers shared the wickets, with John Hall putting in another good performance with 4-22. Josh added to his century to secure the man of the match award with 3-29. A comprehensive victory against a good Ackworth side.

Defeat at Fenwick

On Saturday 12th June, our lads went down to an 87 run defeat at Fenwick. Batting first, Fenwick spread the runs around with no less than 7 batsmen getting double figures, and the posted 202 for 7 from their 46 overs. Pick of our bowlers was Josh Abson with 3-56 from a full 14 over spell, supported by Jack Pepper with 2 for 25 and Lee White with 2 for 34. In reply, we made a bad start losing skipper Jon Pepper in the first over, and we were in trouble at 21-3 after Perry Youel and Murray Raw departed. A mini recovery then followed as Josh Abson and Dave Webster batted well, but then wickets fell regularly until a spirited 9th wicket partnership between Luke Selwood and Lee White added a touch of respectability. Eventually we succumbed for 115 in 33 overs, in a disappointing defeat.

Did You Know?

Did you know there's a beautiful village cricket club in Stainborough? Would you or your family like to get involved in cricket, either as a player, scorer or just helping out and getting outside in the fresh air in stunning countryside surroundings? Stainborough cricket club is located behind the Strafford Arms pub, and we have our own bar which is currently open at weekends for outside refreshments. We run teams on Saturday and Sunday, and we'll be running a junior team as soon as we recruit enough young players. If you want to try your hand at scoring, either in a traditional scorebook or on our computerised scoring system, the club pays £30 per game, and full training will be given. If you'd like to get involved, you can get in touch via our contact page, we look forward to hearing from you.

Abson Hall Blitz

A fine win for the Saturday team on 5th June at Stainborough against Old Sharlston. After being asked to bat, Stainborough batted well throughout, with opener Murray Raw hitting a rapid 48. After Lee Ogden was out, Murray was joined by Josh Abson, who hammered a magnificent undefeated 112 to all parts of the ground. Later on spinner Joe McLee and keeper Liam McFadyen hit 33 and 38 respectively, and Stainborough finished on a very daunting 263 from their 46 overs. Pick of the bowlers were Michael Harwood with 4-46 and Ajit Sukarmaran with 3-43, but in truth the remaining bowlers were taken apart by Josh. In reply, Old Sharlston succumbed in just 28 overs for 107, in the face of a bowling blitz from John Hall, who took 6 wickets for 24 runs in his 8 overs. It was a comprehensive victory on a lovely sunny afternoon at Stainborough. The next day at Stainborough we entertained a very strong Kippax side in the new 20-20 cup competition. It was carnage as Kippax hit 230 from their 20 overs, and we managed just 60 in reply in a complete mis-match. As they say, we'll now have to concentrate on the league...

Barnby Defeat

A narrow defeat for the Saturday lads on 29th May at Barnby Dun. Batting first on a very difficult wicket, Stainborough posted 128-9 in their 46 overs. Highlights were a sparkling 50 not out from Perry Youel, but nobody else managed more than 20 in the face of tight bowling from James Copley, who took 5-26 from his 14 overs. In reply, it was just as difficult for Barnby Dun as they slumped to 68-7, and it looked like an unlikely victory for Stainborough was on the cards. However, the wickets were all falling at 1 end, as Alex Pepper held the innings together. Eventually James Copley joined him to add 48 for the 8th wicket, and Alex ended up on 59 not out as he steered his side home with a few balls to spare. Our Sunday game against Higham was sadly conceded by Higham, who could not raise a team as they had a cup game on the same day. 6 points for us, but not in the way we would like.

Rain Strikes Again

The Saturday game against Featherstone on 22nd May had to be cancelled due to a waterlogged ground after several days of heavy rain, so we get another free afternoon and 3 points. The Sunday game at home to Rockingham sadly also fell victim to the weather.

2021 Sporting Dinner

Our 2020 Sporting Dinner had to be cancelled, and of course we all know why. The 2021 dinner will be held at the Fairway in Dodworth, in the Bluebell Conference Centre, on Friday 8th October 2021. The speaker will be none other than consultant physician Dr Kevin Jones, who some of you will remember from our 2009 dinner at Ardsley House. Kevin gives a very amusing speech on the lighter side of the medical profession with some hilarious anecdotes on his work during his very successful career. Speaking at any type of event to any audience, his hospital humour is universal. His audiences love him, his patients survive him and the British Medical Association don’t know what to do with him! The comedian will be former professional goalkeeper Mick Miller - a favourite on cruises who had his own TV show in the 80s, and a highlight of his career was a part in the ITV series "Last Laugh in Vegas". To complete the evening we've got MC Dave Cooper and smooth-tongued auctioneer Peter Raw, father of club chairman Murray Raw, along with a couple of surprise guests. A 2 course meal of roast beef and Yorkshire pudding will be served, and tickets are £35 per person. Tables of up to 12 are available, please book early with Jon Pepper 07740 786087 or Ian Fletcher 07765 957226. Auction and raffle prizes gratefully received, let's try and make this a great night after the cancelled 2020 dinner.

Rain Strikes

The Saturday game against Notton on 15th May looked like it would never start as heavy rain fell around lunchtime, but eventually the game did get going about 20 minutes late. Stainborough batted first and looked to be doing OK as they reached 69-2 from 20 overs (Murray Raw 18, Jon Pepper 19, Josh Abson 16), but then a procession began. Brett Russell hit the stumps no less than 5 times in his 11 over spell, taking 6-17. A spirited last wicket partnership of 29 between Joe McLee (25 not out) and Luke Selwood (18) took the score to 121. In the second innings, Notton scored just 10 before the rain came and forced the game to be abandoned.

Bradfield Defeated

On Sunday 9th May the Sunday game against Bradfield went ahead on a surprisingly dry wicket, despite heavy rain the day before and overnight. After being put in, Bradfield limped to just 121-9 from their 35 overs in the face of accurate bowling from Lewis Shepherd and Ben Severn. Bradfield didn't lose their first wicket until the 14th over at 49, but then wickets fell regularly, despite a spirited 45 from Harrison Lee, in the face of difficult bowling from Josh Abson (3-19) and Steve Bullough (3-37. In reply, we made short work of it, knocking off the runs in 22 overs for the loss of 4 wickets. Top scorer was Glen Walton with an unbeaten 41, backed up by openers Peter Watson (38) and Paul Brown (24). A good performance and well done to the ground staff for getting the game on in difficult weather conditions.

Soggy Saturday

On Saturday 8th May, the planned game at Pledwick had to be cancelled because of continuous heavy rain, so we got 3 points and a free afternoon.

Top of the Hill

A fine victory by our Saturday team on 1st May as we came out on top of Newton Hill at Stainborough. Having been put in to bat, we made a decent start after the loss of Murray Raw early on, as Jon Pepper (59) and Lee Ogden (90) added 88 for the 2nd wicket. When Lee was out just 10 short of his century, some lusty blows from the middle order batsmen took us to a daunting total of 220 for 7. In reply, Newton Hill struggled against our opening bowlers of Perry Youel and Luke Selwood, and only Thomas Render (57) got on top of the bowling. When he was dismissed by last Sunday's hero John Hall, the procession started. Another hero from last weekend, Joe McLee, then joined John in the attack, and between them they dismantled the Newton Hill batting line up. From 83-2 they subsided to 103-9 as they lost 7 wickets for just 20 runs, before a spirited last wicket partnership of 31 added a trace of respectability. Eventually Newton Hill were all out for 134 as our lads completed an 86 run victory. Joe finished with a haul of 5-36 from his 11 economical overs, while John finished with 4-29 from 9 overs. A great victory for Stainborough on Saturday, and another fine batting performance the next day saw Stainborough gain a good winning draw against Denby. Paul Brown (86) and Brad Wood (80) led the way as we batted, with good contributions from Ryan Haworth (36) and Lewis Shepherd (24) as we posted a daunting 268 from our 35 overs. In reply, a swashbuckling 115 from John Hunter wasn't enough, as Denby managed 204 for 6 from their overs. A good weekend all round!

Hall of Fame

Joe McLee's "performance of the season" 8-23 effort on Saturday 24th April didn't last long. Step forward John Hall in the Sunday game against Thurgoland, with a totally dominating performance the like of which has not been seen at Stainborough for decades, if ever!!! It was breathtaking to watch, and devastating for the poor opposition from Thurgoland. After winning the toss and batting, Stainborough started well with a typically belligerent innings from opener Paul Brown, and after just 5 overs we were 39-2 with the newly arrived John Hall at the wicket. What followed was utter carnage, as John and Brad Wood hammered the ball all over the place in a partnership of 171 in just 17 overs. Brad Wood departed for 76, to be replaced by Matt Whittaker, but there was no let up in the damage as John and Matt continued the assault. John reached his century off just 57 balls in an unbelievable performance, and went on to reach 126 off 74 balls with 18 fours and 4 sixes. A truly memorable performance, but incredibly there was more to come! Matt chipped in with an aggressive undefeated 51 as Stainborough finished on an astonishing 350-4 from 35 overs. In reply, the shell-shocked Thurgoland batsmen did their best, but struggled in the face of accurate bowling from Josh Abson and Luke Selwood. David Segdwick then decided to take on the bowling and began what would turn out to be a great undefeated innings of 90. But then that man John Hall stepped up again, this time with the ball in hand. After 3 overs he had picked up a wicket, but then he exploded into action in over number 4. The sequence of dot, wicket, wicket, wicket, dot, wicket - a 4 wicket hat-trick maiden over - will live long in the memory at Stainborough. Thurgoland eventually struggled to 149 for 8 as Stainborough achieved a winning draw by the huge margin of 201 runs. Congratulations and well done to John Hall for a performance that will be talked about for decades to come.

Spin to Win

Spinner Joe McLee inspired us to a comprehensive victory in our Saturday game against Horbury Bridge on a sunny 24th April, with a majestic spell of 8-23 from just 6 overs. After having been put in by Horbury Bridge, our lads struggled a little and wickets fell regularly, until Dave Webster with 41 and then Jack Steers with an unbeaten 37 added respectability to the score. We closed on 167 for 9 from our 46 overs, a decent score on a tricky surface, but a score that could be overtaken with resolute batting. Tom Reid and Perry Youel opened up and took a wicket each to remove the Horbury Bridge openers, then Josh Abson and Joe McLee bowled in tandem for the rest of the innings. Josh kept things very tight, conceding just 19 runs from his 8 overs, but what can you say about Joe McLee? He bamboozled and mesmerised the batsmen one after the other as Horbury Bridge subsided to 80 all out, to complete a fine first win of the season for our lads. Congratulations Joe on a very early performance of the season contender.

Richard Mills' Funeral

Richards Mills’ funeral was held at the crematorium in Ardsley on Friday 23/04/2021 at 13.30. It was nice to see a multitude of friends from the cricket club come to pay their respects. Unfortunately due to Covid 19 restrictions only 30 people were allowed inside, but there were speakers outside so all who attended were able to hear the service on a lovely sunny afternoon. Orders of Service were printed for those who were stood outside. Afterwards many celebrated Richard's life at Stainborough Cricket Club and at the Tom Treddlehoyle in Pogmoor, to raise a glass in his memory. RIP Richard Mills.

RIP Richard Mills

It is with great heartache and sadness that we write this in loving memory of our long term club member and wicket keeper Richard Mills. Richard passed away on Thursday 1st April. Richard was not only a huge part of our club, he was a great friend to all of us, the life and soul of any event he attended and a regular in the Tom Treddlehoyle at Pogmoor. On the field Richard was extremely competitive, but getting him to bat where his talent merited was somewhat of a challenge. Apart from the time Richard shouldered arms to a straight one that cart wheeled his off stump (that came back two feet apparently) his dismissal at the crease was rarely his fault. The words used when dismissed were either X rated or far too long for any of us mere mortals to spell! Richard's other major sport in life, apart from his love of Liverpool football club, was skiing. When possible he would be somewhere in Europe skiing and work had to fit around that! Richard leaves behind his heartbroken family, long term partner Sammy, and many hundreds of friends who will miss him dearly. Our deepest sympathies and thoughts are with them all throughout this tragic time. Rest in Peace Richard, wherever you are we hope the cricket wickets are hard and true and snow falls on demand.

A Disappointing Start

Our Saturday team went down to a disappointing defeat in the season opener at Calder Grove. After losing the toss and being asked to field, we soon made inroads into the Calder Grove batting line up, with the wickets shared between Josh Abson (4-36), Tom Reid (3-30) and John Hall (3-52). Wicketkeeper Liam McFadyen took 3 catches behind the stumps in a good performance, and Calder Grove were eventually bowled out for a gettable 157. In reply, we were cruising and seemed to be on course for an easy victory, but a collapse saw us eventually bowled out for 131, 26 runs short. Opener Murray Raw top scored with 42, supported by Dave Webster with 20 and John Hall with 31, but no other batsman managed double figures. A bad start to the new season.

2021 Fixtures Released

We are delighted to report that, as things stand, it looks like the 2021 cricket season will be starting on time with a full set of fixtures on both Saturdays and Sundays. You can see the fixtures here. Our Saturday team will kick off the new season on Saturday 17th April with an away game at Calder Grove, followed by a trip to Horbury Bridge the following Saturday. The first home game of the season will be the Sunday team fixture against Thurgoland at Stainborough on Sunday 25th April.

New Dinner Date

Our 2020 Sporting Dinner had to be cancelled, and of course we all know why. The 2021 dinner will be held at the Fairway in the Bluebell Conference Centre on Friday 8th October 2021. The speaker will be none other than heart surgeon Dr Kevin Jones, who some of you will remember from our 2009 dinner at Ardsley House. The menu has not yet been decided but it will probably involve roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. Please put 8th October in your diaries for now, and we all hope we can meet up then.

Winter Shutdown

The shortened 2020 season finished on 20th September 2020, and the club is now closed for the winter. Thanks to all players who have turned out in this strange season, and to all supporters who have attended matches. The 2021 season will, subject to government and ECB guidance, start on Saturday 17th April 2021 with an away game at Calder Grove. We wish you all well for the coming spring, and we look forward to welcoming you to Stainborough for the new season.

Gerald Webster

It is with great sadness that we learn of the passing of the our President and club stalwart Gerald Webster. He passed away quietly at home on 14th February 2021, after a short illness. Gerald represented the club with great distinction for many decades. A mild mannered bank manager in the week, he transformed into a fiercely competitive and mildly eccentric cricketer at the weekends. Gerald batted in the middle order for our 1st XI for years before stepping down to the 2nd team latterly. He last turned out in 2018 playing 17 league games at the age of 80 (top score 38!) He also represented Yorkshire Over 50s for a number of years. He never retired from the game he loved. Gerald was a gentleman, an amazing servant of the club and above all someone who adored the game of cricket. He will be greatly missed. Our thoughts are with David, Margaret and Helen. RIP Gerald.

Third Place Finish

Our Saturday team finished the 2020 season in a creditable 3rd place in the Pontefract League division 3, missing out on promotion by just 13 points. We were victorious in 2 of our last 3 games, beating both Fenwick and Notton at Stainborough, but the defeat at Horbury Bridge on 5th September would eventually mean missing out on promotion. Congratulations to Josh Abson (394 runs/highest score 104*) and Murray Raw (251/117*) on both averaging above 50 runs for the season, and to Joe McLee (25 wickets/best 7-27/average 9.2), Josh Abson (18/6-39/12.9), Tom Reid (12/5-5/7.8) and Simon Buckley (10/4-25/7.2) for great bowling figures. Thanks to all our playing squad for turning out in this most difficult of seasons, and to all those supporters who turned up to watch our games. We hope to be back in April 2021 for another promotion challenge.

Happy New Year!

A very happy New Year for 2021 from all of us at Stainborough Cricket Club. We hope you've enjoyed your Christmas time, despite the restrictions, and of course we all hope for a very different, successful and enjoyable year in 2021. Best wishes and good health to all of you, we hope to see you in April for the new cricket season!

Abson Attack

After the disappointment of the rained-off game on Saturday, our lads bounced back with a vengeance on Bank Holiday Sunday 30th August with a fine 91 run win in a rearranged Saturday game at Ackworth. Once again Josh Abson was the Man of the Match, with a fine 100 off exactly 100 balls as we opened the game by hitting 181-9 from our 36 overs. He was ably supported by Jon Pepper in an opening partnership of 114, but after that wickets fell regularly as we eventually finished on 181-9. When it was our turn to bowl, it was Josh Abson who was the star yet again, with no less than 6 wickets for 39 runs from his 10 overs, to crown a great man of the match performance. Only Jack Willis offered any resistance with an aggressive 54, but the remaining batsmen only managed 26 between them as Ackworth subsided to 90 all out. The 16 point win saw Stainborough storm to the top of the league, albeit temporarily as there's another round of games on Bank Holiday Monday.

Bank Holiday Game

For the first time in living memory, there will be a league game played on Bank Holiday Sunday 30th August, away at Ackworth. This game has been rearranged from early in July, as the season was restructured after the coronavirus pandemic which devastated local sport. As our scheduled Saturday game was lost to the weather, the lads will now be fit and raring to go for the Ackworth game!

Away Win

Another comprehensive win by our Saturday team away at Pledwick on 22nd August. After winning the toss and asking Pledwick to bat, Stainborough restricted them to just 125 for 6 from their allotted 36 overs, with George Tinker (33) and Matthew Clegg (24 not out) the highest scorers. Opening bowlers Josh Abson (2-14) and Jack Pepper restricted the scoring rate, conceding a miserly 20 runs from their combined 13 overs from the start. The target wasn't enough, and when we went out to bat a good opening partnership from skipper Jon Pepper (24) and Murray Raw (21) set the base for the victory. When the openers departed, it was left to Josh Abson (41 not out) and Dave Webster (17 not out) to seal a comprehensive victory in just 27 overs. The 14 point win takes us to 3rd place in the table, level on points with second place, as we remain in the promotion hunt. Next week's game against league leaders Nostell St Oswald is a massive test, but will see us in the promotion places if we manage to beat them.

Abson Raw Power

A fine victory by our Saturday team on August 15th at home to arch rivals Ferrybridge Power Station. After winning the toss and batting, skipper Jon Pepper was soon back in the pavilion with the score on just 4, but in strode Josh Abson at number 3 to add a huge partnership of 97 with Murray Raw, who helped himself to a fine 50. After Murray departed, first Dave Webster and then Brad Wood supported Josh as the score moved rapidly on, with Josh approaching an impressive century. Brad helped Josh keep the strike as the end of the innings approached. Josh required 3 from the final over for his hundred, but Brad was on strike. They swapped singles, and with 1 ball left Josh needed 2 runs for his hundred, but he hammered it for 6 to move to a belligerent 104 not out and take our total to 199 for 4 from our 36 overs. In reply, Ferrybridge started well and kept close to the required scoring rate for the first 26 overs with partnerships of 44, 27 and 42 as the score moved to 103-2. It looked like the chase may be on, but John Hall bowled aggressive opener Marc Lumb for 66, and the innings then subsided as the target was no longer in reach. Ferrybridge eventually limped to 152 for 6 from their overs, with a 47 run 14 point win for our lads. Pick of our bowlers was Joe McLee with 3-27, and a big well done to man of the match Josh Abson for his 104 not out, and an honourable mention to Murray Raw for his fine 50. On Sunday, sadly the rain came down and the game against Bradfield had to be cancelled without a ball being bowled.

Mixed Weekend

A very disappointing defeat for our Saturday team on 8th August away at Newton Hill. After losing the toss, we were happy to be asked to bowl first on a difficult wicket, and this was soon confirmed as wickets fell regularly, with only 4 Newton Hill players reaching double figures in the face of good aggressive bowling from newcomer Simon Buckley (4-25), John Hall (3-17) and Tom Reid (3-26). Top scorer for Newton was middle order batsman James Speight, with an undefeated 39, and together with number 11 Ali Asim (19) he pushed the score on to a very modest 112 all out from 33 overs. In reply, once again the bowlers were on top as Stainborough was bowled out for just 73 in a game which was there for the taking. Only Brad Wood (14), Lewis Shepherd (19) and keeper Richard Mills (13 not out) reached double figures, and the pick of the bowlers was number Tasadaq Iqbal 4-22. A very disappointing outing indeed. On Sunday however, things improved as our Sunday team thrashed Glasshoughton away. After being put in to bat, we managed 154 all out from 31 overs, with good contributions from no less than 6 batsmen who made double figures. Top scorer was Nathan Tinker with 36, supported by opener Brad Wood with 22 and a typically aggressive 21 from Paul Brown. Pick of the Glasshoughton bowlers was Jack Johnson with 4 for 37. The game could have gone either way, but in the end Extras with 6 was the 3rd highest scorer for Glasshoughton as they were bowled out for just 40. Spinner Joe McLee bamboozled one batsman after another with his 6 for 14, and there was no respite at the other end as Jack Pepper polished off the others with 4 for 20. No other bowlers were needed and the innings was over in just 14 overs to complete a 114 run win which sent us top of the table.

Narrow Defeat

A narrow defeat for our Saturday lads on 1st August, as we went down by just 5 runs at Hensall. Batting first, Hensall reached a gettable 150-8 from their 36 overs, with the runs spread around as no less than 7 batsmen made double figures. Josh Abson was the pick of the bowling with 4-46, well supported by Lewis Shepherd with 3-33. In reply, it looked promising as we reached 49-1, only to subside to 76-6. But then in stepped barman Shane Abson, who reminded us of the good old days with a hefty 38 in a late partnership with Richard Mills (22). Sadly, both were out within sight of victory, but we'd run out of overs and in the end finished 5 runs short. Well batted Shane! On Sunday, the home game against Thurgoland was cancelled, so there was no cricket at Stainborough.

Maximum Points!

Our Saturday team are on a maximum 32 points after 2 games with 2 straight wins. Despite winning the first game by default due to the opposition conceding, our lads made short work of South Kirkby on 25th July with a comprehensive victory. After losing the toss and being asked to bat, Murray Raw and Jon Pepper strode out to open the innings. Jon soon returned after being run out, but we didn't see Murray again for a considerable time as he carried his bat to hit a superb 117 not out at just slightly over a run per ball. He was supported well in partnerships of 22 with Josh Abson (15), 90 with Joe McLee (31) and 70 with Dave Webster (17). In the end we reached a very good score of 218 for 6 from our allotted 36 overs, reduced from the normal 46 overs because of the new coronavirus rules. In reply, South Kirkby got off to a flyer with 12 from the first over, but that was about it. Wickets fell regularly in the face of hostile bowling from Jack Pepper (2-29) and Tom Reid (5-5) as they subsided to 34-7 inside 10 overs. The next 10 overs saw just 4 runs scored for just 1 Joe McLee wicket, as the batsmen dug in, but 2 wickets in 2 balls from Josh Abson finished the game as they were bowled out for 38. Well done Murray Raw for a superb century!

Under Way At Last!

The 2020 cricket season finally got under way on Saturday 19th July, after months of delay due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, it was not the season start we expected, as scheduled opponents Old Sharlston conceded the match late on Thursday evening. It seemed we would be without a game, but a phone call from Thurnscoe CC confirmed that they too were without a game, so a friendly was quickly arranged. Batting first, Stainborough scored 200 (Josh Abson 80) in a 36 over game, and then had Thurnscoe at 25-3 when heavy rain put a premature end to the proceedings. On Sunday we entertained Rockingham, but went down to an 8 wicket defeat after being bowled out for just 95. Opener Brad Wood hit a solid 56, but no less than 6 ducks left us with a far from competitive score. Josh Abson was the only other batsman to get double figures, with 22 runs late on in the order. In reply, Rockingham made short work of the target to reach 96-2, with Harry Grindle scoring an unbeaten 60. Simon Buckley took both wickets to fall, but it was a disappointing start to the season for our Sunday lads.

Pontefract and District Cricket League - Latest Coronavirus Statement

PDCL getting back to recreational cricket - In all decisions we are guided by the Government and the ECB, who will only permit a start being made to recreational cricket when it is safe to do so. The conditions under which we play may be adapted to suit a safe return, but more of this later when we have further updates from the ECB. To play a meaningful League season it is important that all clubs within a Division play each other, so if a start is possible on 4 July (week 12) then the complete weeks 12 to 22 will be played as per League Handbook. If a start is not possible until 11 July (week 13) then the complete weeks 12 to 22 will be played, with the week 12 fixtures being played on 19 September. If a start is not possible until 18 July (week 14) then the complete weeks 12 to 22 will be played, with week 12 being played on 19 September and week 13 being played on August Bank Holiday MONDAY 31 August. Clubs will be given the option of playing this MONDAY fixture on either Sunday 23 August or Sunday 6 September or SATURDAY 26 SEPTEMBER. If clubs decide to move this Monday fixture, then it can only be done with the agreement of both teams involved in the fixture. If there is no agreement then the fixture will go ahead on Monday 31 August. If no start is possible by 18 July then the official League programme will be abandoned and there will be no promotion at the end of the season. If recreational cricket can begin after 18 July then the League will introduce a series of mini-leagues, but more of this at an appropriate time.

ECB Statement on Coronavirus

The ECB released the following statement on 18th March 2020: "Following the Government’s latest advice around social distancing, it is with sadness and reluctance that we recommend that all forms of recreational cricket are for now suspended. This extends to training, pre-season friendlies and any associated cricket activity. Sport plays an absolutely vital role in the nation’s mental and physical well-being, and it helps people find meaning where there is fear and uncertainty, so one of our goals in the coming weeks will be to explore ways that we can support some levels of physical activity in communities - particularly at junior levels. Using our cricket community to support others could be one of the most important services we can offer during the difficult next few months. It will be critical that any decisions we do make are medically-led. And we will continue to work with Government and their advisers to ensure we are informed by science in our decision making. Over the coming weeks we will work with the game to understand what support is required across the cricket community, particularly local clubs and leagues. We understand that countless hours of work from thousands of volunteers have already gone into getting ready for the 2020 season and we know how disappointing this will be. We are thankful for the huge role that volunteers play in local cricket, to ensure the game remains at the heart of communities. We know that you and your clubs can play an important role in bringing your community together once we get past this period of time."

Coronavirus Update

The Pontefract League have informed us that all matches from the start of the season until 4th July have been cancelled and will not be replayed. Depending on the situation an attempt will be made to start the season on 4th July, with teams playing each other once. Sunday games have been suspended for the foreseeable future.

Annual General Meeting

The annual general meeting of the club was held at Gilroyd Club on Tuesday 4th February 2020, at 7pm. At the meeting the members elected new officers for the 2020 season, so congratulations to new president Gerald Webster, chairman Mark Tinker, vice-Chairman Murray Raw, Secretary Ray Cooper and Treasurer Luke Selwood. The team captains for the coming season will be Jonathan Pepper for the Saturday team and Lewis Shepherd for the Sunday team. Thank you to outgoing chairman Phil Archer and treasurer Diane Sharman for giving up much of their time for the club, and to Ray Cooper for staying on for an extended stint as secretary. There will be some big changes for the coming season to make Stainborough an attractive place to play cricket, and details will be on our website as new investment is announced. We look forward to seeing you in April for the start of the season.

Fixtures Out!

The fixtures for the coming 2020 season have now been released, and you can find them here. The season opener for our Saturday team is away at Notton in the Pontefract League division 3 on 18th April, starting at 1pm. The first home game is the following Saturday, April 25th, when we take on Ackworth at 1pm. The Sunday team will open the season on April 26th with a home game against Mexborough. At this early stage the fixtures are provisional and subject to change, and the website will be updated as the season approaches if any changes are made.

Happy New Year!

All of us at Stainborough Cricket Club would like to wish all our members, players, supporters, families and friends a very happy and successful year 2020, the start of a new decade. We wish you happiness and success, and above all good health. We look forward to seeing you at the club in April for the start of the 2020 cricket season. Enjoy the close season everyone!

Happy Christmas!

All of us at Stainborough Cricket Club would like to wish you a very happy Christmas, and a successful, healthy and happy New Year to come. Enjoy your holiday, and to all those who are working, thank you and enjoy your free time too. We hope to see you at Stainborough in April for the start of the 2020 cricket season, thank you!

Sporting Dinner 2019

On Friday 4th October we held our 2019 Sporting Dinner at the Fairway in Dodworth, starring flamboyant former Southend, Birmingham and Peterborough manager, Barry Fry. Impressionist and MC Dave Cooper held things together, and Peter Raw did his usual smooth performance in our auction. There were also two surprise guests - former Barnsley FC manager Daniel Stendel and his assistant Chris Stern, who posed for numerous photos and signed autographs. Our guests had a great night and helped us raise funds to be reinvested into the club for the 2020 season. Thank you to MC Dave Cooper, speaker Barry Fry, auctioneer Peter Raw, special guests Daniel Stendel and Chris Stern, Spencer Smith, Lauren, Zoe and the Fairway staff, Lucy the raffle girl, organisers Mark Tinker and Ian Fletcher, spotters Jon Pepper and Luke Selwood, and all our guests. A special thank you to all those who donated raffle prizes and auction items, and of course to those generous guests who bid in our auction. We hope you enjoyed yourselves and we look forward to seeing you on 9th October 2020 for the next Sporting Dinner, see you in April for the start of the 2020 cricket season!

Promotion

After a dramatic final day of the season on 14th September, our Saturday team swept into the second place in division 4 to clinch promotion at the expense of South Kirkby, who lost heavily in a game they had to win. Before the games, our lads travelled to Garforth knowing that even a convincing win may not be enough, as South Kirkby were in second place 7 points ahead. All we could do was win our game and see what happens, so on winning the toss we put Garforth in to bat only for Garforth to make a steady start to reach 35-0, with no sign of what was to come. Carnage ensued as Garforth lost 5 wickets for no runs in an incredible collapse to sink to 35-5. After Lewis Shepherd (2-22) took the first 2 wickets, Joe McLee than took over and ran through the upper and middle order to finish with 6-35 from his 14 overs. Chairman Phil Archer then made his mark on the match with a lengthy spell of 7 balls for no runs and 2 wickets, to finish off the innings at 113. In reply, Stainborough made short work of knocking off the runs, with openers Jon Pepper (20) and Murray Raw (21) making useful contributions. However, it was then left to that man Phil Archer to hit 46 not out to win the match, supported by bowling hero Joe McLee with 14 not out at a run a ball. Phil's advancing years were not an issue, as he hit 10 fours out of 46 to avoid any need to run during his innings! Eventually the result came in from South Kirkby, who had lost heavily at home to Eggborough Power Station, gaining just 1 point to end up in 3rd place. Congratulations to our Saturday team in a fine second half of the season, winning all 8 games played since the last defeat to eventual champions Old Sharlston back in mid July, and dropping only 1 point in the process. Well done lads, see you in division 3 next season.

Another Power Cut

Stainborough once again came out on top on the 7th September game against Ferrybridge Power Station, with an electrifying win by a huge margin of 114 runs. Batting first, opener Jon Pepper carried his bat for an unbeaten 75, and the innings was built around his opening partnership of 60 with Murray Raw (39) and then of 99 with Joe McLee (43). The next highest score was just 8, but in the end the total of 191-9 was more than enough. Ferrybridge Power Station generated very little in reply, and were soon in trouble at 34-7 before eventually subsiding to 77 all out in response to some good bowling from live wire Lewis Shepherd (4-21), Jack Pepper (2-15), John Hall (2-12) and Joe McLee (2-22). It was a great 16 point win which puts Stainborough within 6 points of promotion with just 1 game to go. It was a different story on Sunday as our lads subsided to a 7 wicket defeat to Doncaster at Stainborough. Having been put in to bat, Stainborough looked on course for a decent total at 55-0, but then wickets fell regularly until we were all out for just 125. Top scorer was opener Paul Brown with 32, with Brad Wood (28) and Lewis Shepherd (18) also contributing. In reply, Doncaster were never really in trouble despite sinking to 11-2, and a fine 81 not out from Abbas Ali led them to victory after just 23 overs.

Massive Win

Opener Murray Raw led from the front on the last day of August, in a fine win at promotion chasing South Kirkby. After winning the toss and choosing to field, our bowlers restricted South Kirkby to 186-8 from their 46 overs - probably a par score for the wicket, but with resolute batting it should be achievable. Resolute batting is exactly what the Stainborough openers showed, with a fine century opening partnership between Jon Pepper (19) and Murray Raw sealing the victory. Murray batted almost throughout to hit a magnificent 105, the mainstay of our winning total of 188-5, achieved with just 1 over to spare. The win takes Stainborough to within 7 points of South Kirkby in second place, which shows just how important the win was. With 2 games to go, it's going to be an interesting end to the season for our Saturday lads. The next day at Stainborough, our Sunday team defeated West Bretton easily. After winning the toss and batting, opener Jon Pepper played his part in useful partnerships with the first 4 batsmen to take the score to 90-4, then together with Matthew Clayton he put on 106 for the 5th wicket to take the score to 196-5 when he was finally out for 68 shortly before our innings finished on 201-8. In reply, Jonny Winwood (38) Scot Ledger (39) and George Sharp (31) were the only batsmen to reach double figures, as wickets fell regularly and West Bretton were eventually bowled out for 136 to give us a win by 65 runs. A special mention to young spinner Josh Hoyle, who took 4-30 on his debut with some outstanding spin bowling.

Blank Weekend

A blank Bank Holiday weekend on Saturday/Sunday 24/25 August. Sadly, Saturday's opponents Allerton Bywater conceded their match at Stainborough, so we gained 16 points in the most disappointing way possible. There Eggborough Power Cut

A Nervous Win

Another win for our Saturday team on August 10th at Stainborough against Rossington. After winning the toss and putting the visitors into bat, Stainborough set about dismantling their batting line up on a difficult pitch. After conceding 12 from the first over, the Stainborough bowlers Jack Pepper and Luke Selwood soon got on top and after 6 overs Rossington had scraped to 18-2, then a spectacular collapse ensued, firstly to 20-4 and then to 44-8. An 8th wicket partnership of 21 added scant respectability to the score, and eventually Rossington were bowled out for 68 in 42 overs. It was attritional stuff, with one batsman managing just 7 from 57 balls after over an hour at the crease. John Hall was the pick of the bowlers with an incredible 3 for 7 from 14 overs, supported by Luke Selwood with 3-27. In reply, Stainborough succumbed nervously to 39-6 and an unexpected defeat looked on the cards. However, Dave Webster was still there, and keeper Richard Mills strode out to join him to win the game. They put on a battling undefeated partnership of 31 to take Stainborough to 70-6 to complete a 16 point win. On Sunday, our lads lost out in a low scoring game at home to Upper Haugh. After a reasonable opening stand of 24, wickets fell regularly until, at 77-9, a bizarre last wicket partnership of 37 between Lewis Shepherd (39 from 20 balls) and Dan Jenkinson (0 from 1 ball) lifted our score to 114. Dan walked out to the non striker's end at 77-9, and watched Lewis hit 14 from his first over, including a single to keep the strike. He then smashed 23 off the next over, before Dan was bowled from the first ball he faced. In reply, Upper Haugh sank to 60-7 and an unlikely win for Stainborough seemed possible, but an 8th wicket partnership of 30 changed the picture. Upper Haugh still looked in trouble at 100-9, but the final 2 batsmen saw them home to complete a narrow win.

Another Win!

Our Saturday team put together a thoroughly convincing win on Saturday 3rd August against Hemsworth. Batting first, Hemsworth managed just 92 from 34 overs in the face of fine economical bowling from Jack Pepper (3-23) and Lewis Shepherd (4-29). A special mention also for Luke Selwood, who conceded just 8 runs of 7 overs for his 1 wicket, and Mark France who conceded only 23 from his 8 overs. In reply, it was an easy victory, as Dave Webster (43) added 30 for the first wicket with Mark France, then 53 for the second wicket with Brad Wood (26 not out) . The game was over in just 16 overs, and the players enjoyed a well-earned pint in the hot weather.

Washout

Both games at the weekend 27/28th July were cancelled due to rain without a ball being bowled.

Fairburn Extinguished

A fine win away at Fairburn for our Saturday team on July 20th. Batting first, Fairburn were restricted to 141 all out by some fine bowling from Jack Pepper (4-36), John Hall (3-29), and yet another comeback from club chairman Phil Archer (1-18). In reply, Murraw Raw and Jon Pepper got the team halfway there, then David Webster and Lewis Shepherd finished the job with an undefeated partnership to seal a 16 point win.

100 Up!

Our Saturday team moved on to 100 points for the season after a convincing away win at Thurnscoe on Saturday July 6th. Batting first, Stainborough posted a competitive score of 194, led by opener Jonathan Pepper with 49. No less than 6 further double figure contributions, from Mark France, Joe McLee, Robbie Richardson, Brad Wood, Nathan Tinker and Jack Pepper, saw us reach our total from 45 overs. In reply, Thurnscoe were never in contention in the face of fine bowling from Jack Pepper and Luke Selwood. They soon fell to 19 for 5, and never recovered. Eventually Thurnscoe were bowled out for just 54 to complete a comprehensive victory for our lads.

The Heat Is On

On Saturday 29th June in tropical temperatures, our lads served up a hot performance to defeat Garforth by a large margin at Stainborough. Batting first, evergreen Murray Raw hammered 67, firstly in an opening partnership of 60 with Jon Pepper (23) and then 67 with Dave Webster (29). A stutter followed, during which we slumped from 127-2 to 147-8, but enter John Hall! John smashed the ball all over the place to hit 57 from just 35 balls, with 7 fours and 3 sixes, supported by Jack Pepper who managed 9 out of an undefeated 8th wicket partnership of 67 with John. In reply, Garforth quickly subsided to 40-4, but Danny Crossley (38) tried his best to hold the innings together. Wickets fell at the other end however, and Garforth were eventually bowled out for 115 to complete a 100 run win for Stainborough. The wickets were shared between Man of the Match John Hall, with 6 for 26, and Jack Pepper with 4 for 19. A fine win on a very hot day at Stainborough.

Trelford Mills

It is with great sadness that we have to report that Trelford Mills passed peacefully away on the morning of Monday 3rd June 2019, in Weston Park Hospital in Sheffield after a long battle with illness. Trelford was a well known figure in local and national sport, having played and captained Barnsley Cricket Club for many years, and of course he was also a famous football league referee at the highest level. Trelford also played for Stainborough CC for several years, and was a great help to us over more than a decade of Sporting Dinners at Ardsley House Hotel and more recently at Shaw Lane. Trelford was an outstanding MC for our dinners, and used his many contacts in the sporting world to supply a great range of memorabilia for our fund raising efforts. He was simply incomparable as an MC, and who can ever forget how he ran our games of stand up bingo and heads and tails to ensure that everyone had a fun evening. In the photo we can see him in his element, as MC at a Stainborough dinner with Ray Parlour at Ardsley House Hotel. Trelford was a man with cricket in his heart, and devoted much of his life to the great game, both at Barnsley and at Stainborough. After finishing playing he was heavily involved behind the scenes in local cricket, with coaching, committee work and fund raising. He will be sadly missed by all at Barnsley CC, Stainborough CC, in the wider cricket world and of course in the Tommy Treddlehoyle at Pogmoor, but of course most of all by his son Richard (himself a Stainborough player for many years), his wife Jackie and the rest of his family and friends. Trelford was honoured by a huge collection of friends and family in a moving ceremony at St John the Baptist Church, Dodworth, on Friday 14th June, and it was a testament to his popularity that more than half the congregation had to stand during the service. Stainborough Cricket Club sends its heartfelt condolences to Richard, Jackie and all Trelford's family and friends. Rest In Peace Trelford, well batted!

Wild Yorkshire Way

Club member Ian Fletcher arrived back at Stainborough on Bank Holiday Monday 27th May after his epic 43 day 526 mile Wild Yorkshire Way walk to raise funds for the Woodhead Mountain Rescue Team, who exist purely on voluntary donations. Members of the team accompanied Ian on the last day and showed off their rescue land rover and equipment at the club on Monday afternoon. The bar was opened specially, thank you Kirsty, and a decent crowd gathered for the welcome home party. Thanks for loads of generous donations, totalling nearly £2000. Well done Ian!

Win One, Lose One

On 25th May our Saturday team had a great win away at Rossington, who batted first and posted a below par 154 all out. Amjad Ali hit 72, but few others contributed in the face of aggressive bowling from Lewis Shepherd with 6-37 from just 8 overs. In reply, a belligerent 88 not out from Robbie Richardson steered us home easily, ably supported by Dave Webster with a patient 38 not out. On Sunday however, it was a different story. Batting first at Harley, our lads posted 165 all out largely due to Matthew Clayton with 47 and a late 38 not out from Carl Griffiths. It didn't look enough, and this was confirmed when Harley lost just 1 wicket in knocking off the runs in just 21 overs.

First Win

On 4th May our Saturday team posted a comprehensive win against Fairburn, who were bowled out for just 38 despite batting for 37 overs. In reply, we knocked off the runs in just 10 overs. The next day our Sunday team batted first at home to Tickhill, and were in deep trouble at 60 - 8. However, Joe McLee (81) and Richard Mills (37) added 97 for the 9th wicket, and we finished on a respectable 165. In reply, Tickhill were bowled out for just 89, with Jack Pepper taking 4 - 13 in a fine performance.

First game of 2019

The first game of the 2019 season against Kexborough ended in defeat for our Sunday team, in winter temperatures at Stainborough. Batting first, our lads made a great start, with Josh Abson and Matt Clayton putting on an aggressive opening partnership of 56, before Josh was well caught at gulley. 3 quick wickets followed, and we were soon 65-4, before Nathan Tinker helped Matt Clayton to stage a mini recovery to 95 before they were both out in quick succession, Matt ending on 57. Jack Steers, Ben Severn and Luke Selwood gave the score some element of respectability as we ended on 141. In reply, David Neale bowled Joe Bullock in the first over, but Richard Burgess and Alex Porter then added 129 at a rapid pace to tie the scores, before Richard Burgess was out. Alex Porter fittingly hit the winning runs with a boundary, in a tough start to the season for Stainborough.

Jack Barraclough

Stainborough stalwart Jack Barraclough passed peacefully away just before Christmas. Jack served our club for many decades as a player, committee member, umpire, scorer, vice president and president, and he also served on the Pontefract League management committee for a number of years. Jack will be sadly missed by all at Stainborough and in the wider cricket world. Jack's funeral was held on 16th January 2019 at Grenoside, and the large turnout sums up just how popular Jack was. We would like to express our sincere condolences to all Jack's family and friends, and you are all welcome at the club in the coming season. Well batted Jack!

2019 Fixtures Out

The fixtures for the 2019 season have now been released, and are available for viewing on the fixtures page. The season starts on Sunday 14th April, with a Sunday team home game against local rivals Kexborough at Stainborough.

Winter Shutdown

The club is now closed for the winter following the end of the 2018 season. We will be open again from mid-April 2019 for the new season. Fixtures and events will be posted here when available. We would like to wish all members, supporters, players and their families a very happy enjoyable winter season, a happy Christmas and a successful year for 2019. See you in April.

Jan Mølby Sporting Dinner

Thank you too all guests who attended our highly successful Sporting Dinner on Friday 5th October 2018. Jan Mølby was a brilliant guest speaker, and Mike Maguire was one of the best comics we've ever had, with audience participation a key part of his act. The evergreen Trelford Mills and Peter Raw ensured we made a good profit on the night for club funds, thank you all once again, and put Friday October 4th in your 2019 diaries.

Damp Ending

A wet and damp ending to the 2018 cricket season as both our games were washed out without a ball being bowled. Both teams comfortably maintained their status in divisions 2 and 4, despite some challenges with player availability during the season. A big thank you from the club to all those who turned out throughout the season and helped the teams pick up the required number of points. We look forward to see you again at the club for the 2019 season.

Double Defeat

Both teams lost heavily on Saturday 15th September as the season petered out in disappointing fashion. The firsts were bowled out for just 93 at home to Darton, who then easily knocked off the runs for 3 wickets. Away at Garforth, the opposition hit 267-7 from their 46 overs, before bowling Stainborough out for 69 in a one-sided game.

Rained Off

Both games on Saturday 8th September fell victim to the weather. At Stainborough, Rossington hit 233-3 before declaring with rain around. Our lads defended well and feached 61-3 before the game was called off. The first team game at Knottingley was wiped out. Better news on Sunday as we won in a tight game against Barnsley/Woolley, who managed just 141 in their innings. Phil Archer and Josh Abson took 3 wickets each. In reply, we lost 8 wickets, but a solid 48 from Andy Beck and an unbroken partnership between Lewis Shepherd and Josh Abson saw us home.

Treble Whammy

Defeats for both our teams on the first day of September, as the season draws to a close. Batting first away at distant Whitley Bridge, our first team subsided to 119 all out in 31 overs, with only Josh Abson (28) and Andy Beck (25) making the scorers work. Lewis Longstaff was the destroyer, with 6-34 of 14 accurate overs. In reply, Whitley Bridge made short work of the target, reaching 120-3 off 30 overs to win the game. At Stainborough, undefeated league leaders Horbury Bridge hammered no less than 262-4 from their 46 overs, with 83 not out from Sam Perkin and 76 from opener Jack Machin. In reply, a solid batting performance of 74 from Jon Pepper stabilised our innings, although we were never really in the hunt. Jon was eventually 8th out only a couple of overs from the end, and a late flurry of wickets resulted in us closing on 163-9. On Sunday, our lads went down to a crushing defeat at West Bretton, who knocked off our score of 149 in just 22 overs for the loss of 3 wickets. After sinking to 39-6, a late flurry from Lewis Shepherd (50) and Richard Mills (26 not out) added respectability, but Jonny Winwood with 79 off 56 balls soon put paid to any faint hopes. Thanks to Jack Pepper's girlfriend Ferne, who made her debut in the score box in difficult circumstances in a high scoring game on Saturday, but kept things together well. Thank you and we hope to see you in the score box again soon!

Bar Studs

A big thank you to fabulous 10 piece band the Bar Studs who entertained us in the pavilion on August Bank Holiday Sunday. Originally booked to play outside, they were shoehorned into the pavilion because of the incessant rain. There was a good turn out despite the weather, so thank you to all the band members for a great performance. We'll try to get them back next season playing outside, if the rain stops.

Mixed Bag

A disappointing defeat for the first team on Saturday 25th August against Barnby Dun. Batting first, Zully Shah played a typical knock of 19 from just 8 balls as he swung at every delivery, and soon the score was 30 off just 3 overs when he was out. Wickets fell regularly after that, and only a late partnership of 45 push the score on to 117 all out. In theory, this was an easy target, but the Barnby Dun bowlers had other ideas. Idris Kahn finished with 7-40 as we were bowled out for 105, with only JoeMcLee (39) showing any real resistance. The seconds scored a good win on a difficult wicket at Hemsworth, after scoring 175 largely thanks to a good knock of 49 from Dean Warden and a quick 35 from young Robbie Richardson. In reply, Hemsworth ended up 14 runs short having been bowled out for 161, despite a 50 from Andy Biddulph and a late knock of 33 from David Scurfield. The wickets were shared around, with the pick of our bowlers being Dave Addy with 3-20.

Shortest Game Ever

In a bizarre game at Crigglestone on 18th August, our first team stormed to a win in less than 15 overs, in a game that lasted about an hour. Batting first, 8 man Crigglestone hammered 30 off the first 3 overs, but a remarkable 7 wicket collapse saw them bowled out for just 54 in just 45 balls. Yep, their entire innings lasted 45 balls! In reply, our openers Callum French (35) and Brad Wood (12) hit the 55 runs needed in exactly the same number of balls - 45. The 90 ball game is the shortest we can remember, but it also paints a sad picture of the problems facing village cricket today, as the Crigglestone second team had folded just days earlier. At Stainborough, the second team didn't fare so well as they lost to Ferrybridge, who were restricted to 178 for 8 in their 46 overs. It was a "gettable" target, but opening bowler Keith Lumb took 5 wickets to reduce Stainborough to 68 with last man Alastair Gilfillan going out to join comeback man Lee White. These two then proceeded to add 49 for the last wicket, taking the score to 117 before Lee White (43) holed out going for yet another boundary. Lee hit 43, with 7 fours and 2 sixes, and Ferrybridge were getting very nervous as the score advanced. Alastair scored just 7 from 39 balls in the partnership - a valiant effort to win a game which seemed lost when he came out to bat. On Sunday, our intended opposition Harley conceded the match on the morning of the game, as they could not raise a team.

Full House

A full house on Saturday 11th August as both our teams scored convincing wins. At Stainborough, our first team took on Streethouse in a game kindly sponsored by former player Richard Umbers. Batting first, we hit 202-7 from our 46 overs, with solid middle-order knocks from Josh Abson (43) and Andy Beck (32), then a violent 51 not out from Lewis Shepherd who hit the ball to all parts of the ground. In reply, Streethouse looked on course as Lee Stuckey built a good innings of 38, but he had little support once D Bowles had been superbly caught by Josh Abson for 19. Luke Selwood then ran through the Streethouse side, taking 6-36 from his 14 over spell. Streethouse were eventually bowled out for 107 to complete a big win for our lads. The second team fared even better away at Bullcroft, bowling them out for just 81 in 20 overs, with the wickets shared around between opening bowlers Robbie Richardson (2-24) and Jack Pepper (1-35), then a remarkable 6 over spell which brought 5 wickets for just 7 runs from John Hall (2-4) and Dave Addy (3-3). In reply, Paul Brown and Jon Pepper put on 80 in just 10 overs before Jon was out with just 2 required. Paul Brown finished undefeated on 51 with no less than 10 boundaries in his 31 ball knock. Fine wins for both teams on a good day for Stainborough. On Sunday, we suffered a heavy defeat up on the tops at Green Moor, who put on a huge total of 240-3 in their 40 overs, despite 3 wickets for 39 from Dave Addy. In reply, we managed just 135 in 28 overs, with skipper Chris Thomas top scoring with 24.

Open Meeting Summary

Here's a brief summary of the points discussed at our recent open members' meeting on 30th July:-
The Yorkshire U17 ladies' game against Cheshire was a great success, with thanks passed on to the Club members who organized the event. Comments at the meeting felt the profile of the club had been raised.
Almost all club members have paid their subscriptions for the 2018 season.
The Sportsman’s Dinner will now be held at Shaw Lane due to The Fairway not having suitable free dates available. Full details will be made available on the website.
Junior Cricket – AFC Pogmoor management were shown around the ground and facilities by Mark Tinker and Chris Thomas in the hope that junior cricket can be resurrected by attracting juniors from the football teams. They were very impressed with Stainborough and hoped that a partnership could be worked out.
Clubmark – Mark France along with a work colleague has offered to take on-board the complex task of applying for Clubmark status. This has been attempted twice in the past, but it is so time consuming it get in the way of work and family life.
Club members have genuine concerns about the future of the club, especially keeping the 2 Saturday teams and Sunday team. The availability of players and the lack of juniors were seen as the main problem, however this was discussed in a positive manner.
Chris Thomas commented that the organization of the Bank Holiday Fun Day is well under way, with AFC Pogmoor invited to take part in junior games before the 8 a-side tournament. There will be children's entertainment in the afternoon and a live band in the evening.
It has been reported that the bottom boundary fence is leaking balls through the bottom of the fence due to slight movement in the ground. Volunteers are required to look at building up the soil to prevent this problem.

Back to Form

A welcome return to form for both our sides on 4th August, with both teams scoring good wins. Playing away at Thorpe Audlin, the first team batted first and posted 237-9 from their 46 overs. Josh Abson top scored with 49, backed up with solid knocks from Brad Wood (44), Andy Beck (42) and Tom Reid (33). Pick of the bowling was Scott Murray with 4-26 from 10 economical overs. In reply, the Stainborough opening bowlers Tom Reid and Lewis Shepherd quickly got on top, so much so that only Josh Abson, who bowled a couple, was required in support. Tom finished with 6-61 from 10, and Lewis returned 4-56 from 8 as between them they bowled Thorpe Audlin out for 141 to complete an emphatic win by 96 runs. At Stainborough, the seconds fared almost as well. Bowling first, they skittled South Kirkby for 150 in 39 overs, despite 3 batsmen getting into their 30s. Pick of the bowlers was John Hall, with 4-29 from 13 miserly overs. In reply, Paul Brown hit 50 from 40 balls in a good opening partnership of 77 with Gerald Webster. After a bit of a wobble we sank to 83-3, but then debut man Glenn Walton (24) and youngster Robbie Richardson (28) put together a partnership of 53 to take us to the brink of victory. John Hall and Dean Warden quickly added the remaining 11 runs to round off a good day for both our teams. On Sunday, our lads put together a fine 174 run win against West Bretton. Batting first, Paul Brown (77 from 58 balls) and later John Hall (61 from 44) despatched the ball to all corners of the ground as we posted no less than 292-9 from our 40 overs. Five other batsmen also got into double figures to punish the West Bretton bowlers. In reply, West Bretton were soon reduced to 25-5 in the face of some good bowling from debut man James Lynch who took 3-28. Eventually West Bretton subsided to 118 all out to complete a hat-trick of wins for our sides this weekend.

Twin Defeat

Not the best of Saturdays on 28th July, as both our teams were defeated. At Stainborough, looking slightly greener after some much needed rain, the second team started well in the field against Frickley who were reduced to 86-6 and then 105-7. A partnership of 68 between John Pinder (76 not out) and Corey Hawksworth (21) saw Frickley scrape to 196 all out - a decent but gettable score. However, in reply, Stainborough collapsed in familiar fashion to 88 all out in just 22 overs, with no less than 5 ducks. Only Paul Brown, with a typical swashbuckling 43 from just 31 balls, gave the scorer some work to do, and only 2 other batsmen got into double figures. The first team, away at Glasshoughton, fared a little better as they put on 169-9 from their 46 overs. A solid opening stand between Callum French (36) and Jon Pepper (27) was the foundation, followed by good knocks from Mark France in the middle order and evergreen Phil Archer later on, both of whom scored 27. Glasshoughton however knocked the runs off easily for the loss of just 4 wickets in 32 overs, with a 50 from opener Liam Hopton, to complete a miserable double for our teams.

1360 Runs!

A weekend of mammoth scoring for all our teams as the scorching heat brought out the best from the batsmen on both sides, with no less than 4 centuries. Double header victories for both teams on Saturday 21st August, led by the First Team who hammered 267 - 7 largely due to a fine run-a-ball knock of 107 from captain Andy Beck and aggressive knocks of 37 by Joe McLee and 28 from Tom Reid. A superb supporting knock was once again played by Extras, who carried his bat for an undefeated 37 with no less than 26 wides. In reply, another century from James Dunn saw Featherstone almost overcome our huge total, but they eventually ran of overs agonisingly 1 run short. The Second Team game at Bentley was not so close, as we hit 204-7 batting first. A typical Paul Brown innings of 70 led the way, accompanied by an equally typical 62 from Dave Webster. In reply, Bentley were never in touch as the lost wickets regularly and no batsmen scored above 16. Eventually they were bowled out for just 100 to give us an easy win, with Dave Richardson (5-24) and John Hall (3-9) the pick of our bowlers. On Sunday, it was fireworks time big style at Stainborough against Sheffield Collegiate. Batting first, Stainborough put on what looked like an unassailable score of 261-5 from their 40 overs, led by youngsters Josh Abson with 105 and Lewis Shepherd with 51. Incredibly, Collegiate knocked of the runs for the loss of just 2 wickets with 7 overs to spare, with an undefeated 141 from Pranav Susaria who hammered 18 fours and 7 sixes. A fine game with well over 500 runs to complete a good weekend of cricket.

The Fairway Hotel

Thank you to the Fairway Hotel in Dodworth for their generous contribution to club funds. Situated in Dodworth, Barnsley, close to M1 junction 37, this hotel is 1.1 mi (1.7 km) from Pot House Hamlet and within 3 miles (5 km) of Stainborough Cricket Club and the Lamproom Theatre. Locke Park and Barnsley Town Hall are also within 3 miles (5 km). The hotel features a restaurant, a bar/lounge and a meeting room, with free WiFi in all 40 rooms and public areas. Other amenities include free parking, a 24-hour front desk, express check-out and tour/ticket assistance. All have tea/coffee makers and TVs with digital channels. Guests will also find desks and free toiletries. Situated on the main road between Barnsley and Manchester close to the M1, the Fairway is conveniently situated for visitors to our area.

A Blank Weekend

Another disappointing weekend as both our teams lost. The firsts were bowled out for just 120 at second in the table Rothwell, with only skipper Andy Beck (23) getting beyond 20. Extras was our star man, with a battling 36 not out including no less than 26 wides. In reply, Rothwell easily knocked off the runs for the loss of 2 wickets in 25 overs. In a high scoring game at Stainborough, our seconds posted a competitive score of 199-9 against Fenwick, largely due to a typicality belligerent innings of 69 from 53 balls from Paul Brown. In reply, Fenwick lost a wicket in the first over, but thereafter they were always in the hunt, and they reached their target with 3 overs to spare thanks to an undefeated 83 from S Vickerage.

World Cup Fever!

On Saturday July 7th, our first team entertained Thurnscoe, with an early start at 11am to allow players and supporters of both sides to watch the England World Cup game against Sweden at 3pm. Batting first, Thurnscoe showed their intentions from the start, hammering 125 -9 off just 20 overs before declaring. In reply, Stainborough made a good attempt at matching the scoring rate, largely due to good batting from Joe McLee (41) and skipper Andy Beck with 34. In a tense finish, the scores were level at 125-9 when Phil Archer was run out to tie the game. After the game the opposition decided to return home to watch the England game, and the Stainborough lads enjoyed a successful 2-0 win against Sweden in the club bar. On Sunday, a strong Upper Haugh team were too strong for our Stainborough lads, as they racked up 273 for just 4 wickets, including a century and 2 fifties. In reply, our chairman Phil Archer carried his bat for 51 not out as we were bowled out for 108 in a one-sided game against a team who should really be playing at a higher level.

Yorkshire On Top

Yorkshire Ladies U17 put together a masterful performance at Stainborough on Tuesday 3rd July to beat Cheshire Ladies by 9 wickets. In front of a large crowd in perfect summer conditions, the strong Yorkshire bowling restricted Cheshire to just 97 for 9 from their 40 overs. No less that 9 bowlers were used, and the wickets were shared around. All the Yorkshire girls bowled well, but Amy Jobling was the pick with 2 wickets for no runs off the bat and just 1 wide from 4 accurate overs. Top scorers for Cheshire were Madi Hudson with 18 and Poppy Beardsell with 12, with no other batters reaching double figures. In reply, Yorkshire made short work of the target to reach 101-1 in just 16 overs. Skipper Adrianna Darlow hit an undefeated 47 and opening partner Leah Dobson an aggressive 30 to complete a resounding win. Thank you to coach Cecilia for choosing Stainborough to host this big game - we enjoyed having you at Stainborough and we hope you will come back again one day.

Feeling Hot, Hot Hot!

A scorching but unsuccessful weekend for both teams on the last day of June, followed by another defeat for the Sunday team the next day. At Darton, a good bowling performance by the opposition saw us bowled out for just 84, Brad Wood top scoring with 24. In reply, Darton swung the bat at everything and it came off, as they reached their target for 2 wickets in just 11 overs. At Stainborough, our seconds lost a thrilling game against Garforth on a day where no less than 419 runs were scored. Batting first, we posted a decent score of 209-8, largely thanks to father and son team Gerald (38) and David (49) Webster, who added 84 for the second wicket. A late thrash from Nathan Tinker pushed the score on to a challenging total of 209. In reply, Garforth attacked from the start, but lost wickets regularly to leave them teetering on 206-9 with the last pair at the crease. They kept their heads and scraped home with a couple of leg byes in the 43rd over to win by the narrowest of margins. On Sunday a strong Dewsbury team easily knocked off our score of 112, with Andy Beck hitting 35. Dewsbury reached the target for the loss of just 1 wicket to win by 9 wickets in 17 overs.

A Fine Spectacle

Stainborough CC are delighted to announce yet another sponsorship deal, this time with Specsavers Barnsley. To book your eye or hearing test online, why not go to the Specsavers website? Thank you from all at Stainborough CC for your support.

The WOW factor!

A stunning victory by our first team on 23rd June at home to Knottingley, who were on top for 10 overs before we took over and annihilated them with a master class in batting, bowling and fielding. At 28-3 after 10 overs, we looked down and out, but then the fightback began. Declan French (42) and Andy Beck (58) hammered 84 for the 4th wicket to take the score to 112 at the half way point. Enter Jack Steers who carved the bowling to all parts to hit an undefeated 41, aided low down the order by veterans Shane Abson and Phil Archer as we ended up on 235 for 9. In reply, the talking stopped quickly as Knottingley succumbed for just 82 from 22 overs in the face of hostile bowling from Tom Reid (4-39) and Luke Selwood (3-25), and superb catching from Shane, Phil, Andy and Lewis. Extras with 25 was the star performer for Knottingley as only 2 batsman managed double figures, with no less than 4 ducks. Cameo spells from Joe McLee (2 for 2 from 1.1 overs) and Lewis Shepherd (1 for 2 from 1 over) finished off a great "WOW" victory. The seconds fared less well at Rossington against what really was almost a first team. Batting first, we slumped to 119 all out before Knottingley knocked off the runs easily for the loss of just 3 wickets, and on Sunday we were distracted somewhat by England's World Cup game as we went down to a 9 wicket defeat to Tickhill after being bowled out for 102, despite a brutal 56 from Callum French off just 34 balls. In reply, a second wicket unbroken partnership of 88 won the game for Tickhill.

Storm Force

A violent thunderstorm put paid to our first team game on June 16th at home to Whitley Bridge. After a disastrous start where we were just 4-3 off just 5 overs, our lads recovered to post a reasonable total of 160-7 thanks to fine batting from Joe McLee (54), ably supported by M France (24), evergreen Phil Archer (22 not out) and another fine innings lower down the order of 16 not out off 46 balls by young Jack Pepper. In reply, Whitley Bridge quickly lost Will Thorne for a duck in the first over, before they moved on to 49 off just 10 overs when the lightning began. A torrential downpour ensued, and the umpires called off the game at 5:20 due to a wet outfield and square. The seconds, decimated by weddings and other extraneous activities, gave Horbury Bridge's first team a good game despite having only 10 players. Batting first, we managed 121 all out in the face of some hostile bowling, thanks to Carl Griffiths (26 not out) and skipper John Hall with 24. In reply, Horbury made a decent start until Dave Richardson removed both openers, then after a stutter they eventually reached their target in 21 overs to win by 5 wickets. On Sunday, our lads hammered 264-7 at Harley, thanks to 59 from Jack Steers, 56 from Lewis Shepherd and 44 from skipper Chris Thomas. In reply, Harley scraped to 135-7 and never looked like challenging the target in the face of some good bowling.

Hall of Fame

Pride of place on Saturday 9th June goes to our second team with a stunning win at home to Hemsworth in a game dominated by debutant Wayne Thornton, old timer Shane Abson, who has played so many games that we've lost count, and bowler John Hall who destroyed the Hemsworth batting. Batting first, Stainborough were up against it from the start, slumping to 12-4 after just 4 overs. But then in came debutant Wayne Thornton and started to defend magnificently in the face of good bowling from Hemsworth. Wickets continued to fall at the other end however, and after 23 overs we were 50-9 and all seemed lost. But then in came veteran Shane Abson at number 11, and together with Wayne Thornton they put on 56 for the last wicket. Wayne hit a good 50 on debut, and Shane supported him with 32 not out. We ended up with 106, despite being 50-9, but it was still almost certainly not enough. Or was it.......? In reply, Hemsworth moved smoothly to 74-1 from 27 overs, and defeat looked inevitable, but then skipper Dave Addy fired up John Hall into one of the best spells of bowling ever seen at Stainborough. He was unplayable, taking 6 wickets in a row for just 9 runs from 10 overs to reduce Hemsworth to 102-7 after 40 overs. They needed just 5 to win at this stage, but crucially they only had 10 batsmen. In steps Dave Richardson with a wicket with his first ball, then the final wicket to win the match for Stainborough by just 3 runs in a quite incredible finish. Not such good news for the first team, who were bowled out for 136 at Barnby Dun chasing 171 to lose by 35 runs. No Barnby Dun batsman dominated, but no less than 8 double figure scores and a remarkable 28 extras posted 171 all out. Young Lewis Shepherd was the pick of the bowlers with 5-31. In reply, we lost wickets regularly until Tom Reid came in and hit 44 in a typically aggressive innings, well supported by Jack Pepper down the order, but once Tom was out the end came quickly as we were bowled out for 136. On Sunday, we defeated 9 man Green Moor by 9 wickets in a short game. Having bowled them out for 111, Paul Brown (35) and Callum French (60) made short work of the reply, and Liam Wiles hit the winning runs in just 11 overs.

Power Hitting

A multitude of lost balls at Stainborough on Saturday 2nd June, as our first team lads hammered Crigglestone to all parts of the ground and beyond as we racked up 260 all out. No less than 9 sixes and 28 fours were hit, with J McLee leading the scoring with 69. Callum French hit 55 from number 1, and skipper Andy Beck chipped in with 35. In reply, in truth Crigglestone were never in it after losing opener Andy Crowther to the first ball of the innings. Tom Reid bowled with pace and a bit of bounce and hit the stumps 4 times to end up with 5 for 31, and Joe McLee took 4-16 in just under 4 overs as Crigglestone were bowled out for 73 to lose by a huge 178 run margin. The seconds suffered a heavy defeat in an unpleasant match at Ferrybridge, where the umpires saw fit to award us 5 penalty runs due to the conduct of some of the Ferrybridge players. This didn't help much though, as we'd already been bowled out for 59, so the target for Ferrybridge went up to 65. They knocked this off in just 7 overs to win easily in a game which we were glad to get over with so we could get away from the unpleasant atmosphere surrounding the game.

Higham Friendly

Our Sunday team came second in a close game against neighbours Higham CC on Sunday 3rd June at Higham. Batting first in a 30 over game, we posted a good score of 169 to set Higham a daunting target, with Brad Wood (46) and Andy Beck (35) the main contributors. In reply, we were on top until our lack of bowling depth gave Higham a chance which they took, to knock off the runs with a couple of overs to spare. After the game a pleasant beer and barbecue was arranged by the Higham lads in good surroundings in their new pavilion. Thanks to Higham CC for hosting the game and to all the players who gave up their Sunday afternoon to turn out for Stainborough.

Stag Weekend

No less than 3 stag trips on the same weekend decimated our squads for our Pontefract League games on Saturday May 26th. Missing 7 players, the first team succumbed to a good bowling attack away at Streethouse, to be bowled out for just 60. Only 3 batsman managed double figures, and there were no less than 7 scores of 5 or under! In reply, Streethouse made short work of the target, losing just 1 wicket as they ended the game in 18 overs. The seconds once again took pride of place, as several "mature" players were recruited to fill the gaps, giving an average age of 48 even though two 18 years olds were playing. In a good bowling performance, 10 man Bullcroft were restricted to 130 all out from 41 overs, with the wickets shared around. Robbie Richardson was the pick of the bowlers with 3-25, but special mention to Mark Tinker, bowling for the first time in 10 years, who managed 2-40 from 7 somewhat "erratic" overs. In reply, it looked like curtains at 20-3 as we had no less than 6 batsman arguing about who would claim the no 11 slot. However, a great unbroken partnership of 110 between Dave Webster (59 not out) and skipper John Hall (40 not out) took us to an easy full point victory. An unusual feature of the game was that there were no less than 3 father/son combinations in the side - Dave and Robbie Richardson, Mark and Nathan Tinker, and Gerald and David Webster. Just as well Jon and Jack Pepper were in the first team.

Low Scoring

A low scoring 19th/20th May weekend for all our teams who managed just 276 runs in 3 games. Pride of place goes to the second team, who bowled out South Kirkby for just 66 with the wickets shared around. John Hall's marathon spell of 9 balls was the highlight - 3 wickets for 9 runs to finish off the innings. In reply, Stainborough easily hit 70-4 to win the match, with the aggressive Paul Brown the main contributor with 39. At Stainborough, the first team thought they would be in with a good chance after bowling Thorpe Audlin out for just 106, due to a devastating spell of 5 wickets for 4 runs in just 3 overs from Joe McLee. All 5 wickets were clean bowled as Joe turned the ball sideways, and he was twice on a hat trick. In reply, Stainborough lost wickets regularly, and always looked in danger even chasing a low total. Liam MacFadyen top scored with 24, and had he not been caught off what looked like a no-ball, the result may have been different. In the end last man Luke Selwood was given out LBW with just 4 needed, with the main destroyer being Scott Murray with 5-55. On Sunday, The Sunday team looked in control as they reduced Sheffield Collegiate to 112-7, but a run a ball 63 from Ben Fielding took the score to 180 all out. Ben was admirably supported by 15 year old Louisa Edwards who stuck it out for 43 balls in support, scoring 14 runs in the process. Our reply can only be described as a disaster as we slumped to 36-8, and a huge defeat looked likely, but David Clayton put together partnerships of 30 with Carl Griffiths, then 37 with youngster Emilia Rossi, to add a touch of respectability, but we were still bowled out for 103 to lose by 77 runs. Well done to Emilia who batted undefeated for 23 balls at the end.

A Mixed Weekend

A mixed day for our teams on Saturday 12th May, as the firsts gave a solid batting and bowling display to beat Glasshoughton by 35 runs. Batting first, the French brothers Declan and Callum both hit aggressive 50s in an opening stand of 107. Callum and Josh Abson then took the score to 141, but then we collapsed to 145-5 in the face of some aggressive bowling from Alex Clemo who finished with 7-37. Lewis Shepherd and Andy Beck took the score to 186 before another mini collapse saw us reach 196 all out In reply, Glasshoughton looked dangerous as Liam Hopton and Rob Sperrin scored quickly, but a couple of run-outs and good bowling from Joe McLee (4-47) and Josh Abson (2-44) eventually saw Glasshoughton bowled out for 161. Away at Frickley, the seconds seemed to be going well at 76-1 thanks to a fine innings of 56 from Murray Raw, but our lads then subsided to 111 all out in the face of good bowling from M Pinder (6-16) with only Brandon Fearn putting up any resistance. Frickley easily knocked off the runs in just 25 overs to leave our team with just a solitary point. On Sunday 13th, our Sunday team snatched victory from the jaws of defeat at Thorncliffe after bowling them out for just 115 with the wickets shared around. In reply, we made the worst of starts, slumping to 15-6 in the face of some unplayable bowling from Jason Clark who finished with 5-12. However, Josh Abson and Jack Steers came together and added 99 for the 7th wicket to win the match for Stainborough.

German Tour Report

The German touring team Heligoland Pilgrims CC have written a report on their visit to Barnsley which you can read here. Scroll down for the English version.

German Tourists

Our German visitors gave us a great game on Bank Holiday Sunday in front of a crowd of over 200 spectators at Stainborough. Batting first, we hit 198 all out, with veteran John Baughan having to retire (again!) at 50, after a good opening knock of 65 from Paul Brown (42) and Richard Mills (33). In reply, the Germans reached 187 largely due to a superb innings of 82 from Murali Krishna, but fell just 11 runs short in a tense game. The match was notable for remarkable drinks intervals, each lasting about 10 minutes, where the usual orange squash was replaced by Erdinger Weißbier from our visitors' sponsors. After the game yet more Weißbier was consumed, before the great Simon Whiteley entertained the large crowd until after midnight. Our visitors danced the evening away and even performed their "Barmy Barnsley Tour" song, specially written for us! The general impression was one of "a reyt set er lads!. Thanks to all the German players, safe journey home and we hope to see you again in the future. Heligoland Pilgrims CC have written a report on their visit to Barnsley which you can read here. Scroll down for the English version.

Double Jeopardy

Sadly both our senior teams lost heavily on Saturday 5th May, with the firsts being bowled out for just 81 against Featherstone largely due to 7-23 from D Hiorns. In reply, Featherstone easily knocked off the required runs to send our lads home pointless. The second fared a little better, restricting Bentley to 163 for 5, with opener Michael King out on 99. In reply, we slumped to 90 for 9, before a spirited last wicket partnership of 31 from Alistair Gilfillan and David Addy delayed the inevitable.

Table Toppers!

On Saturday 28th April the second team stormed to the top of the table with a fine full point win away at Fenwick, in the only game to be played in division 4. Batting first, we wobbled at the start but then Dave Webster steadied things, and a belligerent 86 from Tom Reid, with no less than 8 sixes, saw us to 188-9. We then bowled Fenwick out for just 137, with Mark France taking 5-30, supported by Luke Selwood with 3-19. A great start for the second team lads, but sadly the first team game at Stainborough had to be called off because of a waterlogged ground.

Major New Sponsorship Deal

We are delighted to announce that renowned local building company, Whitshaw Builders has agreed a 3 year deal to sponsor the club for the 2018, 2019 and 2020 seasons. Whitshaws' links with the club are many, as some of their staff and contractors play for the club, and one of our members lives in a Whitshaws built new home in Dodworth. Whitshaws are delighted to announce that not one but two of their recent projects have been shortlisted for the RICS Awards 2018 in the Yorkshire & Humber residential property of the year category. Both projects are a great example of what can be achieved when an architect dreams up an amazing concept and the builder makes this vision a reality. The projects are Millhouses Lane and Plot 6 at Delf Garth, Dodworth. Both are stunning examples of top quality residential homes. The category winners and Project of the Year winner will be announced at the Awards Ceremony and Dinner on 11th May 2018. Thanks to James, Managing Director, for his generous contribution the club. We will be proud to wear your logo on our shirts for the next 3 seasons, and hopefully after that too.

German Tour

We are delighted to announce that German cricket team, Heligoland Pilgrims Cricket Club, based on the remote island of Heligoland in the North Sea, are visiting Stainborough in May this year to play two friendly matches against a joint Stainborough/Netherton CC select XI and our Sunday XI. They are arriving on Friday 4th May, staying at the Fairway Hotel in Dodworth, and will be leaving on bank holiday Monday 7th May to fly back to Germany. We are playing two matches against the touring lads - on Saturday we will be playing at Netherton CC and turning out a combined Stainborough/Netherton team of guests, former players and anyone else who wants a game, as both our Saturday senior teams will be involved in league matches, but if anyone who is not involved in league cricket wants to play, please get in touch. On Sundays we will host the Pilgrims at Stainborough for a friendly game against our own lads, after which we will be holding a party in the pavilion until late. Once again we have booked one of the finest local entertainers, singer Simon Whiteley, who will be performing live from about 7:30pm on Sunday evening. Don't forget, Monday is a bank holiday, so the party can go on late into the night. Food and of course "refreshments" will be available all day. Put this weekend in your diaries, as it's sure to be a fun weekend for all.

Indoor Nets

The first indoor net session for the coming season has been arranged for Saturday 17th February at 4pm, at Horizon School on Dodworth Road. The nets are free of charge and all current and prospective players are welcome.

2018 Fixtures

The fixtures for the 2018 season are now available on our fixtures page. Fixtures and results for the 2017 and 2016 are also available if you want to have a look back. All fixtures are subject to change at this stage.

Winter Shutdown

Stainborough Cricket Club is now closed for the winter, and will be open again in April 2018 for the new season. All the best to all members, players and supporters, we'll see you next season. Thanks for your support and enjoy the close season.

Well, That's It!

A damp end to the 2017 season as the first team's home game was called off because of an unfit pitch. The first team finished 6th in division 2 with 208 points, after an inconsistent season following a brilliant start. Congratulations to champions Brodsworth and runners up Hemsworth on their promotion to division 1. The second team were beaten away at division 4 champions Pledwick, after posting just 102 all out in the first innings. Pledwick easily knocked off the runs for the loss of just 2 wickets. Congratulations to them and to runners-up Ackworth. The second team finished in 8th position in division 4, after a difficult season where player availability was (as at many clubs) a great problem. On Sunday, the away game against Wath was abandoned due to rain with Wath on 62-3 chasing 110 to win, leaving the Sunday team in 5th place in division 2, firmly in mid table. Well done to all those who turned out for all our teams throughout the season.

Washout

The autumn took its toll on Saturday, as the first team game at Rothwell was washed out without a ball being bowled due to rain. This ensured a blank weekend, as there were no games scheduled for the second team nor for our Sunday team, so it's on to the last day of the season next Saturday as our first team take on top of the table Hemsworth in a game which could decide the championship. The seconds are away at Pledwick, and the Sunday lads bow out the day after at Wath.

Double Delight

Good wins for both teams on Saturday as both our sides moved up the table. Taking on Featherstone at Stainborough, our first team took the unusual step of winning the toss and choosing to field first on a greenish wicket. The decision soon proved to be correct as Ashley Potter removed the opposing skipper with his first ball. Ashley and Tom Reid took wickets regularly, but some spirited resistance from the late middle order saw Featherstone struggle to 150 all out. Ashley finished with 5-52 and Tom with 4-39 from their spells. In reply, we were always in control due to a solid 41 from skipper Andy Beck and a typical innings from Tom Reid (27 not out). The game finished in an unusual way - we needed 8 to win with keeper Dave Clayton on strike, and opposing skipper Tom Wragg sent down to leg-side wides in a row, both of which reached the boundary to give us 10 wides from 2 balls to win the match. The seconds had a good win at Netherton, bowling them out for just 120 after knocking 199-6 from our innings. Jon Pepper led the way with 91 to set us up with a decent score, then Dave Addy took over with 6 for 32 to knock them over for 120, despite a good 78 from opener D Illingworth. On Sunday, rain prevented a result as our lads travelled to Harley, but not before Tom Reid hammered a sparkling 148 not out as we piled up 305-6 from our 40 overs. With Harley on 71-1 in reply the heavens opened and the match had to be abandoned due to the rain.

One Hundred and Eighty

Nope, we've not being playing darts, but Luke Potter hammered no less than 180 from 120 balls out of a mammoth 287-7 as Stainborough's Sunday team batted first against Sprotbrough. The next highest score was just 22 as Luke targeted an Audi in the Strafford Arms car park, proving superb entertainment in front of a large Bank Holiday Fun Day crowd. In reply, Sprotbrough made a real go of it, led by Harry Graham with 78, but eventually they subsided to 199-9 to complete a winning draw for our lads. On Saturday, the firsts had a superb away win at league leaders Brodsworth, who made the fatal mistake of getting over-confident after bowling our side out for a meagre 123 despite a good partnership between J McLee (38) and Dave Webster (26). In reply they were never in it, thanks to aggressive bowling from Tom Reid (5 for 40) and outrageous off-spin from Joe McLee, and they subsided to 75 all out. So confident were Brodsworth, that one of their batters decided he didn't a bat, and duly lost his middle stump to Joe McLee! A great win. Not so positive for the seconds, who lost at home to league leaders Ackworth, who hit 212 for 6 in their innings after winning the toss, with a century for Jack Willis. In reply, we managed just 83 in the face of some good bowling from a strong Ackworth side.

Seconds Massacre

Pride of place this Saturday goes to our Second Team, who annihilated South Kirkby by bowling them out for just 31 in just 15 overs. In an astonishing first innings for South Kirkby, Bailey Hopkins top scored with 18, with the rest of the batsman contributing just 11 between them including no less than 6 ducks. In reply we lost Paul Brown early, but Nathan Tinker and Robbie Richardson knocked off the runs in just 9 overs to complete an easy victory. At Stainborough, a disappointing first innings total of 145 by Stainborough was never going to challenge visitors Whitley Bridge. Once again we had a poor start, losing Jon Pepper and Callum French in the first 4 overs. Declan French (38) and Joe McLee (34) staged a recovery, but once they were out the team struggled to 145 from just 34 overs. In reply, to be honest we were never in it, as L Longstaff (78 and J Pearson (43) added 123 for the first wicket. Skipper Tom Reid took the 2 wickets to fall but the result was never in doubt.

Dodworth Beaten

Dodworth Old Boys were soundly beaten in our friendly 20-20 game last night. Further details and scores when available.

Low Scoring Games

The First Team lost out away at local rivals Darton on Saturday in a low scoring game. On a difficult wicket, our lads struggled to 129-9 from the full 46 overs, with decent contributions from Joe McLee (31), Tom Reid (28) and skipper Andy Beck (20). In reply, Darton also struggled to cope with the bowling of Tom Reid and Joe McLee, and lost 7 wickets in chasing down the total. Meanwhile at Stainborough, the Seconds had an easy win against 9 man Frickley, who were bowled out for 71. Pick of the bowlers was Robbie Richardson with 3 for 6 from just 3 overs. In reply, the result was never in doubt as Paul Brown hit a rapid 47 out of 72-2 to win the match for Stainborough. On Sunday, a thrilling game saw Stainborough come out on top in a very close affair against Upper Haugh. Batting first, we amassed 214-7 thanks to an aggressive 70 not out from Josh Abson and a rapid 53 from Lewis Shepherd. In reply, Upper Haugh appeared to be making light work of the total as Josh Middleton (57) and Sam Thompson (108) put on 157 for the first wicket. After Middleton fell, wickets fell regularly and Upper Haugh finished 4 runs short on 210-6, with Josh Abson finishing with 5-36.

Dodworth Old Boys

On Friday 18th August, a Stainborough Select XI will take on a Dodworth Old Boys XI in a 20-20 game in memory of Dodworth Cricket Club. The game will start at 6pm, there will be food available and the bar will be open. Peter Boycott and Trevor Bower have kindly agreed to umpire the game, so thanks to them both from all at Stainborough CC. Teams will be announced in due course, why not come along and have a great evening of cricket with old friends from Dodworth?

Good Comeback

A much-needed win for the First Team on Saturday in a low scoring game at Knottingley. Batting first on a wicket helpful to the bowlers, Stainborough lost wickets regularly, but 3 partnerships of around 30 saw us struggle to 109 all out. It was not a total which would take some defending, and defeat looked inevitable when Knottingley were 56-1 in reply despite a wicket for young Jack Pepper in his first over. However, Tom Reid and Joe McLee then got to work, taking 9 wickets for 36 between them to bowl out Knottingley for 92 to complete a great win for our lads. Tom finished with 6-35 and Joe with 3-28 as the Knottingley batsmen simply had no answers. At Stainborough, another low scoring game saw our Second Team lose by 3 wickets to Garforth. Batting first we were soon in trouble, losing Gerald Webster in the first over and Paul Brown a few balls later. A recovery followed thanks to a good partnership of 39 from Dean Warden and Robbie Richardson, then Dean stood and watched as 6 wickets went down at the other end. Some late hitting got us to 102 all out, which would turn out to be not quite enough. In reply, Garforth also lost wickets regularly, but were always on target to overhaul our score which they did for the loss of 7 wickets, despite a superb bowling performance by evergreen Dave Richardson who finished with 5-43 in a long spell of 13 overs.

Bad Trot Continues

Another bad day for Stainborough CC on Saturday as both teams were bowled out for low scores on a day where the weather and the pitches favoured the bowlers. Fielding first at Stainborough, our first team lads had Glasshoughton at 125-4, but could not contain Alex Clemo who hit an undefeated 67 to take Glasshoughton to 230-6. In reply, Stainborough were in truth never in it. Wickets fell regularly, although a spirited knock of 23 from Tom Reid and some late hitting from the evergreen number 11 Shane Abson managed to scrape us to a single batting point as we were eventually bowled out for 110. The second team bowled and fielded well away at Ferrybridge, restricting the opposition to 136 all out despite 47 from opener Joe Angell. Pick of the bowlers were John Hall with 3-30 and returning Dave Exley with 3-37, who both caused the batsmen problems and kept the run rate down. In reply, a typical opening partnership between the belligerent Paul Brown with 31 and the methodical Gerald Webster with 25 seemed to be keeping us on target for a win, but a devastating 13 over spell from Stuart Ellison changed the game. He took 7 wickets for just 8 runs, including two golden ducks, and we were eventually bowled out for 97. An unusual statistic from the 2nd team game - J Hart of Ferrybridge c Gerald Webster (age 79) b Dave Exley (age 59) 3, combined age 138. Is this is record? We think so, unless someone knows better...Better news on Sunday in a match reduced to 30 overs a side because of rain. Batting first against Sheffield Collegiate, an awesome innings of 98 not out from Paul Brown saw us set a daunting target of 188 from 30 overs, but Sheffield were never it in the reply thanks to a devastating 6 over spell of 5-22 from Jack Pepper, including his first ever hat trick. Eventually they subsided to 84 all out in just 18 overs, to complete a fine win for our Sunday team.

Twin Defeats

Both our teams lost out on a disappointing Saturday this week. The firsts posted a reasonable score of 197 against Notton at Stainborough, largely thanks to skipper Andy Beck with 64 and a good knock from young Lewis Shepherd with an aggressive 45. In reply, Notton looked to be heading for defeat at 65-5, but a wildly attacking innings from Richard Nordon changed the game. He hammered 80 from just 32 balls including 8 sixes before getting out with just 8 needed. There was still time for a wobble as the 9th wicket fell shortly afterwards, but last man Da Mata saw Notton home to win by 1 wicket. The seconds finished a distant second away at Hatfield, who posted a huge 303-4 with their top 4 all exceeding 50 as some of our bowling figures took a hammering. In reply, truthfully we were never in it, although star opener Paul Brown hit a typical 58 to take the game to the opposition. Once Jonathan Pepper was run out for a creditable 34, the rest subsided to leave us all out for 129 - a losing margin of 174 runs.

Sporting Dinner

This year's dinner will again be held at the Griffin Suite, Shaw Lane Sports Club, on Friday 13th October 2017 at 7pm. The main speaker will be none other than former Southampton and England midfielder Matt LeTissier, currently a Sky sports football pundit, and Barnsley's own Dave Cooper, ex Radio Sheffield football commentator and sporting impressionist. There will be the usual auction and raffle, and a delicious 2 course meal of Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pud. Tickets are priced at £35 each and tables of up to 12 are available. The event will be a sell-out, and over half the tickets have already gone, so to make sure of your place please give your booking and payment to Ian Fletcher or Jonathan Pepper.

The Spirit of Cricket

Stainborough's 2nd team game against Fenwick on Saturday showed that the true spirit of village cricket is alive and well at Stainborough. Having been decimated by injuries, holidays and unavailability of some players, many clubs would have conceded the game or played with fewer than 11 players. Not Stainborough. Former and retired players rallied to the cause, and we turned out a full team with an average age of 49, with 1 player in his 70s and 2 in their 60s. Defeat was inevitable, and the opposition hammered 241-8 in the first innings, including 58 from opener Josh White. After conceding an all run 5 while fielding at mid-off, ageing Ian Fletcher took the gloves again to allow Paul Brown to bowl, and Paul duly sent down 14 accurate overs, hitting the stumps 4 times to take 4-56. In reply, Stainborough were always on target to chase down the score, until Dave Webster was out with the score at 157. The lower order then succumbed and Stainborough were all out for 164 - a creditable performance in the circumstances to gain 4 points. A massive THANK YOU to the players who filled in. The firsts suffered a bad defeat away at Crigglestone after restricting them to 136, but a good bowling and fielding performance saw us bowled out for a disappointing 95 to relinquish our second place in the league. On Sunday, no less than 486 runs were scored as our Sunday lads chased down a daunting total of 242-5 by Greenmoor, with a big 134 from Callum Johnson. In reply, our top 6 all contributed well, led by Josh Abson with 70, and we reached the target with 7 wickets down and an over to spare in a thrilling game.

Family Fun Day

On Bank Holiday Sunday, 27th August, we are holding a family fun day during our home game against Sprotbrough. We will have a bouncy castle for the kids, the famous Stainborough barbecue, and the bar will be open all afternoon and evening. Later on after the game, outstanding singer Simon Whiteley will be performing live in the pavilion until late. Why not bring the kids along and enjoy a great family day out at Stainborough?

MOM Performance!

Fine wins for both teams on Saturday, with a thrilling Man-of-the-Match performance by Tom Reid at Stainborough. Batting first against Allerton Bywater, Stainborough made a steady start to reach 106 for the loss of just 2 wickets. When skipper Andy Beck was out, a mini collapse followed and our lads subsided to 133-7, at which point Tom Reid came in to bat. Tom hit a typically aggressive 68 from just 43 balls, all the time being supported by debutant Jack Pepper who scored a fine 22 not out at the other end. Tom was eventually out in the last over but had pulled Stainborough to a good score of 231-9. In reply, Allerton Bywater lost wickets in clusters, with Tom Reid the destroyer. There were 5 ducks, including 2 first-ballers, 2 second-ballers and one who was out absent as he never turned up! Only Mark Mosby, with a patient 28 off 64 balls, showed any resistance. Man of the Match Tom finished with 6-26 and shared the wickets with Joe McLee with 4-8, to leave us second in a very tight division 2. The seconds were able to enjoy an afternoon watching the firsts after an incredibly short game at Sykehouse. Batting first, Sykehouse were decimated by Luke Selwood with 6 for 18 and Dave Addy with 3-7 as they sank to just 38 all out. Opener Philip Townsend managed 22 of these, the next highest scorer was extras with 7, and the other 10 batsmen managed just 9 between them! In a situation tailor made for opener Paul Brown, the game was over in 7 overs as Paul hammered all but 1 of the required 39 runs to complete an easy victory. On Sunday the lads managed 159, batting first against Sprotbrough, with that man Tom Reid again top scoring with 43. Sprotbrough easily chased down the target with 7 overs to spare, largely thanks to Michael Burns with 55.

Junior Finals Day

The Barnsley Junior League U15 finals day will be held at Stainborough on Sunday 9th July, with the first semi-final between Barnsley Woolley and Upper Haugh starting at 10am. The second semi-final between Elsecar and Penistone/Worsbrough will follow at about 1pm, with the final at 4pm. Refreshments will be available and the bar will be open throughout the event.

Double Disaster

Both teams lost out on Saturday in a disappointing day's cricket. Batting first at Hemsworth, the first team lost wickets regularly and looked to be heading for a really low score, but an undefeated last wicket partnership of over 60 from Tom Reid (45 not out) and Phil Archer saw us reach a barely respectable total of 169-9. In reply, Hemsworth were in no trouble as they knocked off the runs for just 2 wickets with 12 overs to spare, largely thanks to Phil Crapper with 73. At Stainborough, the second team were bowled out cheaply for 116 on a green wicket against Pledwick, despite a typical 72 from 62 balls from Paul Brown, with Rob Gledhill taking 6-23. In reply, Pledwick made a slow start but the result was never in doubt and they eventually won the game after 36 overs for 4 wickets, with Andy Baker top scoring with 52. On Sunday, a weakened first team bowed out of the cup at Ackworth, who made an unassailable 271-2 in their innings, with 2 centuries. In reply, we were never in it as we were bowled out for 113.

Second Place!

Our first team moved back into second place in the division 2 table with a hard fought win against Rothwell, despite a torrid start to our innings. Oliver Lightfoot (6-54 from 14 overs) had Declan French caught behind with the first ball of the match, then brother Callum and Joe McLee soon followed to leave us 9 for 3 after 5 overs, a seemingly hopeless position. Things did not improve as we slipped to 58-5 and then 108-8, but enter Brad Wood at number 9, ably supported by Tom Reid and then by Phil Archer. Brad smashed the ball to all parts of the ground to score a brutal 59 at a run a ball, to leave us on 185 all out. It was not a big total, but after the start we had would it be enough? Rothwell made a slow but steady start in the chase, reaching 98 for just 2 wickets when the game changed. Top scorer Liam Toole (29) ended up having a chat with his partner at the same end, while the bails were gleefully removed at the other end to run him out. Rothwell never recovered from this disaster, and were eventually bowled out for 160 to lose by 25 runs. The next day, our Sunday team completed the double over West Bretton, who were restricted to 148-8 despite a patient 44 from fellow snow lover Denny Flynn, with the wickets shared between Jack Pepper, Lewis Shepherd and Dave Addy. In reply, a typical gruesome innings from Paul Brown (73 from 49 balls) meant that the result was never in doubt, and our lads knocked off the runs easily for 5 wickets, with 15 overs to spare.

Yorkshire OSCAs

The Yorkshire Cricket Board will be hosting the 2017 Outstanding Services to Cricket Awards (OSCAs) on Sunday 23rd July 2017. The Awards will be held at Headingley Stadium Prior to play in Yorkshire’s T20 Blast Game against Worcestershire. The winners and runners-up in each category (with partner/friend) will be invited to attend the Yorkshire game in the afternoon. The winners in the ECB OSCA categories (the first section below) will be the Yorkshire nominations for the national awards which are held at Lords later in the year. Nominations close on 23rd June, so be quick! For further information click here.

Double Full Monty

Full point wins for both teams this Saturday, with pride of place going to the second team who scored a mammoth 337-7 in their first innings, thanks to a typical innings of 93 off 70 balls from Paul Brown, a fine 91 not out from Mark France and a violent 85 from just 53 balls from Dean Warden. Netherton succumbed to 127 all out to lose by a huge 210 runs, despite a rampaging 52 in just 21 balls from Kevin Townend. The first team also secured a fine 16 point win away at Featherstone, posting a decent first innings score of 208 thanks to solid innings from Declan French with 54 and new dad Jack Steers with 44. Myles Robinson was the pick of the Featherstone bowlers with 5-28 from 11 overs. In reply, Featherstone were never in it, and Tom Reid destroyed their batting line up with 6-28 as they were bowled out for 88 to give us maximum points.

Wash Out

Rain won the day at Stainborough as the enticing first team encounter against leaders Brodsworth was washed out without a ball being bowled. Although the rain did eventually stop, the heavy overnight downpours rendered the field unplayable. Despite the weather, the second team managed to get a game but had a disappointing loss at Ackworth after being bowled out for only 132. 5 batsmen reached double figures, led by skipper Matt Whittaker with 40 and Dave Webster with 29, but 4 ducks restricted the total. In reply, young Jack Pepper again showed his promise, taking 3-42 from his 7 overs, all caught by the skipper. The target wasn't enough though, and thanks to 71 not out from Gareth Webber the opposition easily knocked off the runs with 18 overs to spare. On Sunday, our lads travelled to Upper Haugh, where they were soundly beaten despite a man of the match performance from skipper JoeMcLee, who took 4-50 to help restrict Upper Haugh to 176-7 from their 40 overs. In reply, Sam Thompson destroyed our early batters with 6-17, until Joe came together with evergreen chairman Phil Archer to add some respectability to the score with a stylish 52, before eventually falling to see Stainborough bowled out for 122.

Bouncing Back

Despite a disappointing defeat at Whitley Bridge on Saturday, the first team bounced back on Sunday to hammer South Kirkby in the cup. Batting first, our lads hit 224, mainly due to a huge partnership between Man-of-the-Match Luke Potter (91) and Joe McLee (65), with that man Extras and Callum French the only other double figure scores. In reply, South Kirkby made a decent start, but after Steve Secker was out for 66, Luke Potter destroyed the innings with a devastating spell of 6-25 from just 5 overs to seal the Man-of-the-Match and clinch victory and put Stainborough into the 3rd round of the cup. The day before, Stainborough were bowled out for just 156 by Whitley Bridge, despite spirited lower order batting, and the opposition wobbled in the chase as they lost 7 wickets in their reply before eventually knocking off the runs with 12 overs to spare, leaving us in 3rd place in the table. The seconds also lost easily at home to South Kirkby, conceding 226-5 in the first innings thanks to 86 from M Wilson and 50 not out from G Mitchell. In reply, the second team lads succumbed to 120 all out, despite an attacking 30 not out from young Nathan Tinker who batted really well in difficult circumstances.

End of the Run

On Saturday our first team were finally beaten for the first time this season by local rivals Darton. Batting first, Darton made a good start and reached 94-0 off just 14 overs before spinners Joe McLee and Phil Archer came on. Joe took a wicket in his first over and went on to claim 6-21 as he and Phil stemmed the run flow, and Darton eventually collapsed to 176 all out. In reply, Stainborough made a disastrous start, slumping to 10-3 after just 3 overs. Wickets fell regularly until, at 55-8, Phil Archer and Declan French came together and put on 40 for the 9th wicket, but Stainborough were bowled out for 96 to lose by 80 runs and gain just 3 points to slip to second place in the table. The seconds had a low scoring win at Frickley, bowling them out for 95 largely due to a devastating spell of 4 wickets for just 13 runs in 4 overs from young Jack Pepper, who is a real fast bowling prospect. In reply, Jack's dad Jonathan carried his bat to 49 not out as Stainborough knocked off the runs for 5 wickets.

Five in a Row

A fifth win in a row for the first team, after a tense win at Stainborough in a low scoring game against Knottingley. Batting first in murky and wet conditions, Knottingley managed just 115 all out, despite a brave contribution from Extras who contributed 34 including 27 wides. Our slow bowlers did the damage in favourable conditions, with Joe McLee taking 5-40 and the ageless Phil Archer taking 4-23. In reply, Stainborough started well enough, but after the opening pair of brothers Tom and Joe Atkinson were separated, wickets fell regularly until a last wicket partnership between new signing Brad Wood and Jack Steers won the game by 3 wickets to see us gain another 14 points. The second team game at Garforth sadly fell victim to the weather and was abandoned without a ball being bowled, but the Sunday game against Warmsworth went ahead the next day. Warmsworth hit 215-8 from their 40 overs, despite a combined 5 wickets from Jack (3-49) and Jon (2-49) Pepper and another 3 from skipper Joe McLee. In reply, we were bowled out for 143 in 33 overs to finish well short, largely due to 5-31 wickets from Tommy Hyde.

League Leaders

For the 4th consecutive game the first team gained the maximum 16 points against Glasshoughton, once again racking up over 250 for the 3rd time in 4 games. Skipper Andy Beck hit 78, and no less than 6 other batsmen got into double figures as we scored 253-9 from our 46 overs. In reply, wickets fell regularly as Glasshoughton were reduced to 100-5, but some spirited lower order batting saw them reach 216 before being bowled out, with another 4 wickets for Joe McLee. Stainborough maintained their top spot in division 2 with the victory, but only by 3 points from Brodsworth in second place. The seconds lost heavily at home to Ferrybridge, who hit 278-6 after being put in. In reply we managed just 84, dragged out over 41 overs. On Sunday, our lads had a fine win over Greenmoor, knocking off 148 to win in just 21 overs, thanks to Jack Steers with 57 and Luke Potter with 40.

Match Ball Sponsor

A big thank you to Mr Richard Umbers, who has agreed to sponsor the match ball for the second team game on 13th May against Ferrybridge. Richard has played for the club for many years, starting as a junior before graduating to the senior teams and eventually becoming a successful captain. Off the field, Richard was active on the committee and spent a long time as treasurer of the club, overseeing the big improvement in the club's finances from 2005 when our pavilion was improved and the bar installed. Thanks Richard, your support is greatly appreciated.

A Mammoth Win

For the 3rd game in a row our all conquering first team pocketed the full 16 points, this time in a mammoth 268 run win, one of the largest winning margins ever in our league. Batting first, our top 6 batsman all reached double figures, headed by Luke Potter with 79 and skipper Andy Beck with 78 as our lads hammered the Notton bowlers. In reply, Notton's top scorer was Extras with 26, including 17 wides, and the next highest score was 13 in a total of 71 all out. Tom Reid was the main destroyer, taking 6 for 20 from 9 hostile overs. At Stainborough, the seconds were going well against Hatfield Town at 146 for 4 with lots of overs left, but eventually they collapsed to 177 all out, thanks largely to 5 for 38 from Jimmy Stafford. In reply, Hatfield made short work of the target due to a belligerent 111 not out from skipper Craig Pattinson off just 89 balls, eventually winning the match with more than 20 overs to spare.

Firsts March On

Another full 16 point win for the firsts against Crigglestone saw them go to the top of the table. Batting first, our lads hammered 252-4, with Joe Atkinson hitting a massive 136 not out and Joe McLee 61 not out. In reply, 10 man Crigglestone were bowled out for just 89 to give us maximum points, with Joe McLee taking another 4 wickets. The seconds lost heavily at Fenwick, who racked up 235-8 before bowling us out for 90. On Sunday, our lads restricted Harley to 169-4, but were then bowled out for 118 to lose the game, despite 40 from Josh Abson.

Full House

Wins for all 3 teams on the first weekend of the 2017 season. Away at Allerton Bywater, the firsts comprehensively defeated the hosts by bowling them out for just 71 after hitting 202 in the first innings, with good scores from Ryan Howarth (52), Tom Atkinson (39) and Callum French (30). In reply, Tom Reid at one stage had figures of 5 for 4 after 5 overs, ending up with 6 for 35. Joe McLee knocked over the other 4 to complete the victory. At Stainborough, the seconds were cruising at 115 - 0 (P Brown 84, Jon Pepper 25) chasing a target of 163 to beat Sykehouse, but once the openers were out wickets fell regularly and it was down to skipper John Baughan and Dave Richardson to add 6 nervous runs for the last wicket to clinch victory. On Sunday, our lads hammered 231 for 7 at West Bretton, thanks to a huge undefeated 8th wicket partnership of over 100 between Lewis Shepherd (83*) and Jack Steers (29*). In reply West Bretton were bowled out for 195, with another 6 wickets for Joe McLee making 10 in the weekend. Well done to all 3 teams on a great start to the season.

Celebrate at Stainborough CC

Why not celebrate your wedding evening, birthday, anniversary or corporate event at Stainborough Cricket Club, in our free function room situated in delightful country surroundings. We are open from the beginning of April to the end of September each year, and we can cater for up to 80 guests indoors. Outside, we have a huge area for children and a large car park. Our licensed bar is open until midnight, and we can also arrange live or recorded music and catering if required. If you would like to use Stainborough CC for your celebration, contact Ian Fletcher 07765 957226 ianfletcher@wtnet.de.

*** Become an Umpire ***

Why not become an umpire at Stainborough Cricket Club? You may be a former player, you may already be umpiring in our league or a different league, or you may wish to learn more about the laws of the game. Why not join our club as an umpire for the 2017 season? Courses can be arranged free of charge if required and all our umpires receive several benefits including free tickets to social events, competitive match fees and loyalty rewards. For further details contact Ian Fletcher (07765 957226).

Website Advertising

Advertising spaces are available on our website for the entire 2017 season. £50 per advertisement including image and links for your website/email. Please contact Ian Fletcher (07765 957226) for more details.

Latest News From Stainborough
Ground Aerial View

Another Fine Win!

Another fine win on the last day of the 2024 season on 21st September. Our lads achieved a 4th successive win, broken only by a rained-off game against Normanton, to end the season in a creditable 5th position despite being in relegation danger for most of the season. After being put in by the Oulton skipper, we lost an early wicket before Andy Beck (73) and Josh Abson (51) added 116 for the second wicket. Paul Brown chipped in with a typically rapid 26, but when he departed at 157 the wickets fell regularly as we limped to 186 all out. In reply, Oulton looked in trouble at 98 for 5 before some middle and late order resistance took the score to 163 with 2 wickets left, but a couple of late wickets saw them bowled out for 164 to complete a very good win and secure 5th place in the table. The wickets were shared out, with pick of the bowlers being Josh Abson with 3-30. Thank you to all the players for turning out in what was a difficult season with lack of availability devastating the side at times, but team spirit and commitment saw us through a good season. See you in the 2025 season next April. Scorecard.

Take Up Cricket!

Do you enjoy watching cricket but you've never played before? Do you live in the Dodworth, Silkstone, Gilroyd, Kingstone, Ward Green, Worsbrough, Thurgoland or Oxspring areas? Did you know that there's a beautiful and picturesque village cricket club in the hamlet of Stainborough, near Dodworth? We're looking for players of all ages, male and female, why not give it a go? You don't even have to play, you could learn to score or umpire and be paid for doing it. Please contact us for further details about practice nights, or just turn up at the club when we are at home - you can see the fixtures here. There's no charge to play and we can arrange for you to borrow some kit if you let us know beforehand.