Leica Moments

A visit on Sunday to East Keswick CC to watch a WYWGCL Division Three (Softball) game between Leeds Super Kings CC Women and Yeadon CC Women.

You can read all about my trip here

Saturday's travels took us to Arthington in the Theakston Nidderdale League - Division Four, to watch Arthington CC 2XI take on Darley CC 2XI.

You can read all about the visit here

Wednesday night and it was Harrogate & District Evening Cricket League action at Harrogate Cricket Club - where Harrogate CC Evening League B play Markington CC Evening League side in a Division Three game.

Markington posted 92 in 16 overs and Harrogate reached 96 for eight in about 15 overs...to win the game by two wickets.

As the game was going on, The Balcony Bar was full with England supporters watching England overcome DR Congo 2-1 to reach the last 16...the roar for their second and winning goal was heard all around the ground!

Tuesday night and it was down to Pannal CC to cover the game between Pannal CC 2XI and Killinghall CC 2XI, in the Theakston Nidderdale Barrett Cup semi-final.

Pannal managed to get their innings complete, reaching 165 for eight; and Killinghall were stopped in their tracks when the rain began to fall having score 13 for one from two overs.

The conditions were, shall we say, sub-optimal for photography...as the dark foreboding clouds covered the ground like a heavy blanket, and light was at a premium.

Anyway...here are a few photos from that abandoned game.

Leeds Super Kings CC Women 2XI v Yeadon CC Women 1XI

Women & Girls Cricket League – Leeds West Region Division Three (Softball) East Keswick Cricket Club | Sunday 28 June 2026

Finding My Way

I’m conscious that there are so many women’s teams playing cricket, and the recent expansion of the game means that there are more and more coming into existence. It can be a little overwhelming when opening Play Cricket to try and decide on what game to take in on a Sunday.

I was lucky enough to cover Leeds Super Kings CC Women’s first ever game at the beginning of last season, when they visited Collingham & Linton – and had made a note to visit their ground to watch another of their games at some point.

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t exactly sure where they played and when I saw they were at home on Sunday, I had to do a little investigation as to where they were based. The fixture was marked as being at East Keswick Cricket Club – and I wasn’t familiar with where it was. So out came Google Earth, and with a few presses of the keyboard I was genuinely surprised to find that the ground was not far from Harewood…midway between Harrogate and Leeds.

A simple six-mile journey – and a new ground that I need to find out more about.

The Arrival

Travelling from the Harrogate side, I took a left at the traffic lights in the middle of Harewood, then a short drive towards Collingham before turning right and less than 100 yards later another right into the cricket club. 

A large ground opened up in front of me…on my right a small pavilion, and a portable batting cage. In front of me was a large playing surface flanked by two rows of trees with an open vista back towards Harewood.

My first impressions were favourable.

A few players from Leeds Super Kings had already arrived and were getting the ground ready, and as I did my boundary walk, more and more players from both teams were turning up. I watched the boundary flags being set up and the wickets put in place while enjoying the relatively warm and sunny conditions, but wondering how the rather blustery winds would affect the game.

A stiff breeze swept across the ground from the open end overlooking the Harwood Estate, while patches of sunshine and drifting cloud continually changed the light. The surrounding trees offered only occasional shelter from the wind, and the steady hum of traffic beyond the boundary became part of the afternoon’s soundtrack. It was to prove an ideal backdrop for an entertaining game of cricket.  

Leeds Super Kings Women won the toss and chose to bat first in this 16-over pairs contest. I’ve written about this format of cricket many times before, and I just love the simplicity and accessibility this form allows.

The format demands concentration as much as technique, with the fall of wickets carrying penalties that can undo scoring boundaries, and Leeds managed that balance impressively throughout much of their innings. Their four batting pairs accumulated runs steadily, finding gaps in the field and punishing any deliveries that weren’t accurate; Yeadon were forced to work hard in the field to prevent the total from climbing too high.

By the close of their innings Leeds had reached 109 for 4, translating to a net pairs score of 289 – a competitive total that would test the visitors.

Yeadon’s reply followed a similar game plan, with sensible batting proving just as important as taking risks. Boundaries arrived often enough to keep the scoreboard ticking over, but there was also a growing awareness that not losing wickets could ultimately decide the outcome.

The tension steadily built as the innings progressed, aided in part by a few pauses in play as the scores were double checked – allowing both sides to know exactly what was needed.

As the final over arrived, Yeadon edged closer to their target. Rather than chase every possible run, their batters showed composure, needing a few runs to win the game but also recognising that avoiding dismissals was just as valuable as searching for boundaries. That calm approach proved decisive.

A boundary and then a single ran, Yeadon saw out the final over without losing a wicket and had posted 116 for 5, giving them a net score of 291—just enough to edge past Leeds Super Kings’ 289 by the narrowest of margins.

Two runs separated the sides after more than two hours of closely contested cricket, a fitting reward for an afternoon where both teams batted confidently, fielded with determination and were as competitive as any first class test match. The scoreboard may have struggled to keep everyone informed, but by the final handshake both teams had contributed to an absolutely enthralling game of cricket.

Yeadon had found a way to win one of the closest softball encounters of the summer, while Leeds Super Kings could take considerable encouragement from a performance that kept the outcome in doubt until the very last ball.

Now for me to go and research a little more about the East Keswick Cricket Club – a future article perhaps?

...and you want to know why the title of the article is as it is? Look at the sign above the door of the pavilion.

Wednesday down at St. George's Road saw the Harrogate & District Amateur Evening Cricket League kick-in as the sun dropped low to the horizon.

Evening cricket has a whole new set of conditions to cope with...the low sun being probably the most prominent.

Harrogate ran out winners by 33 runs over a Burnt Yates CC Evening League A team. A good game between two sides willing to swing the bat and hit big.

Sunday was the longest day of the year - when the sun was visible for around 18 hours and the sky never quite gets totally dark. Connor and I headed to Yapham Cricket Club to cover a Yorkshire Premier League North Women's Premier League game between Yapham and Beverley Town Women.

You can read about it here

Wednesday night saw cup competitions take a front row...and I headed down to Harrogate Cricket Club to see the semi-final of the HDAECL CB Atkinson Trophy between Harrogate CC Eve League B and North Stainley CC Eve League A.

A great game that ended as the golden light flickered through the trees across the ground casting long shadows...it was the visitors to St. George's Road that progressed to the final, winning by 39 runs.

A Friday look at last Sunday's action.

If you want to read about the game, you can do it here.

A look at a few shots taken on Saturday in and around the Goldsborough CC 2XI v Killinghall CC 2XI, Theakston Nidderdale League game.

West Yorkshire Women & Girls Cricket League Premier League Two Guiseley CC Women 1XI v Burley in Wharfedale CC Women

With the Women’s world cup now in full swing, games on Sunday promised to be at a bit of a premium – with many players excited to head to places like Edgbaston and Headingley to watch the top players from around the world taking part in the biggest ever women’s cricket finals competition.

I noted from Play Cricket that Burley in Wharfedale Women’s second team were playing at home, and I always enjoy visiting that ground as it is a little bit of a hidden gem. So, plans made, I packed the car and headed across in the Otley and Ilkley direction.

Arriving at the ground, the first problem was that the gate was closed…but maybe that was because I had arrived a couple of hours early. Parking outside the ground, I ducked under the bar of the gate and headed towards the groundsman who was running the big mower over the infield grass.

We chatted briefly and much to my dismay, I learned that the game had been postponed. That feeling about missing my Sunday cricket fix started to well up in the pit of my stomach. However, I’d deliberately travelled early for just this sort of reason…giving me just enough time to do a little bit of replanning and calling on my ‘Plan B’.

Back to the car and I fired up Play Cricket once more to look at the couple of other matches I’d pinned to the top of my timeline. If I couldn’t see the second team play…then I hoped the first team’s game hadn’t suffered the same fate!

Now for my first real surprise of the day…they were playing at Guiseley, and as I asked Siri nicely to find me the quickest route there, it came back with a trip of only around ten minutes! I didn’t realise that the two grounds were actually only a few miles apart…every day is a school day!

The drive was both quick and easy…and the added bonus being that I was able to find a parking spot very easily next to the pavilion. Looking around, the ground looked fantastic in the bright sunshine and there were already a good number of players and spectators starting to take up places around the picnic tables spread out in front of the clubhouse.

A quick catch up with Martin Staples (the umpire for the game) and I performed my usual boundary walk to reacquaint myself with the ground, plan my coverage tactics (yes – I actually do some planning!) and determine where the sun would move during the course of the afternoon. Once done, a quick cold drink bought from the bar was gratefully consumed before the cameras were pulled out of the bag, and I settled on the boundary.

The visitors from Burley in Wharfedale won the toss and chose to bat, looking to capitalise on the reasonably good conditions – and perhaps tire their opponents a little by chasing the ball around the large oval.

Runs arrived in singles and twos – fours and sixes being at a premium due to the pitch being positioned closer to one side…leaving what seemed like a bus-ride on two sides for batters to get the ball over the rope! Okay…I might be exaggerating a little, but it would take something special to score a six on those boundaries.

As I wandered around the perimeter of the game trying to get different angles on the play, I got chatting to a few different spectators…nothing heavy or overly meaningful, and certainly not in the realms of putting the world to right…simply friendly hellos and gentle introductions; the sort of conversations that make covering the West Yorkshire Women & Girls Cricket League such a pleasure. It was the sort of afternoon where the game shared a stage with everything happening around it.

Burley’s innings was, it is fair to say, a slow burner; not helped, I suppose, by losing a wicket in the very first over. However, over the next five overs they concentrated on countering the fast and accurate bowling by the home team, adding a few runs here and there.

By the halfway point, Burley were pushing to gain some momentum. However, when partnerships threatened to form, Guiseley were able to find a breakthrough. The visitors were playing some nice shots and finding the short boundaries when possible, in the 15th over alone, Claire Collin and Ali Plaxton hit three fours and ran a few runs to move the score along nicely.

The problem for the visitors was the impressive bowling and fielding display being put on by Guiseley, and they were chipping away with wickets every few overs. Eventually, after 30 overs, Burley closed on 112 for 9 – Elizabeth Morley and Helen Mitchell helping the visitors through to the final ball. It was a competitive score without being imposing, a total that left both teams believing they still had plenty to play for.

Elizabeth Morley top scored for the visitors with 28 from 37 deliveries; and Alex Carey impressed with the ball as she took three wickets for just ten runs.

A welcome half time cold fizzy drink, and I was set for the chase. I know Guiseley have some great batters, so I thought they would be slight favourites to take the win, and bolster their position in the Premier League Two (only two games into the season – so my usual disclaimer about looking at the table and trying to make anything of it stands).

Guiseley emerged with purpose.

Their batters immediately found the gaps [as you’d expect for the home team] that had proved elusive earlier in the afternoon. Boundaries appeared with greater frequency, and Guiseley’s run rate was immediately higher than their opponents had been at the same point in their innings.

I think it is fair to say, that it was clear who was going to win the game from fairly early in the second innings…when the first wicket fell in the sixth over, the home team already had around a third of the target. A spate of wickets starting in the fifteenth over, saw Burley briefly threaten a Guiseley collapse…including a superb run out with a throw from Elizabeth Morley who was side on to the stumps, hitting them directly to send the bails flying and leave Kate Walshaw stranded.

However, the fall of the three wickets saw Jess Moran (top scorer for Guiseley with a superb 38 from just 18 deliveries) and Clara Findlay come together in the centre to form a partnership that would see the home team ease past the target set by the 20th over and win the game.

And perhaps that was the story of the day.

Maybe the game wasn’t a close fought affair, going down to the last ball; but it certainly had moments from both teams to admire.

Guiseley’s play was confident and assured; their bowling and fielding was excellent and their batting as strong as ever. The range of shots being played was impressive, and I am certain that the team will be competing for that top spot come the end of the season.

Burley in Wharfedale looked like a team with huge potential. A few flashes of play with bat and ball that hinted at what is to come this season and next. The moment of the afternoon being that run out – a quick thinking pick up and shy at the stumps that drew applause from all around the ground…a wonderful flash of top-level skill, and I would challenge anyone watching the T20 World Cup games on Saturday or Sunday to say that they saw a better dismissal!

And that was my Sunday…I enjoyed my cricket fix having briefly threatening not to happen!

A set of images from the game will be published tomorrow.

A look back at the West Yorkshire Women & Girls' Premier League game between Rawdon CC Women and Harrogate CC Women.

You can read all about it here...

It started rather wet on Saturday morning, but the enthusiasm of the players meant that the game went ahead.

You can read all about the game and see a few more images on Cricket Yorkshire.

Rawdon CC Women v Harrogate CC Women West Yorkshire Women & Girls Cricket League Premier League Rawdon Cricket Club | Sunday 7 June 2026

Another easy trip for me on Sunday, with my destination being just the other side of Leeds Bradford Airport, high up in the hills. In fact, I was so close to the airport, that when I lifted my phone to make a few notes, it had a notification that read ‘Welcome to Leeds Bradford Airport…’

The airport itself holds the distinction of being the highest commercial airport in the United Kingdom, sitting more than 680 feet above sea level, and on Sunday afternoon it often felt as though the cricket club was competing for the same airspace.

If the ancient Greeks had been looking for a home for Aeolus, keeper of the winds, they might well have settled him on a hillside right next to Leeds Bradford Airport.

For much of Sunday afternoon at Rawdon Cricket Club, it felt as though he had taken up residence there. The wind arrived long before the players did, sweeping across the ground in a steady crosswind that had spiders worried about their homes, and umpires chasing their hats…at times it was strong enough to topple the bails.

And if Aeolus was watching, he would have witnessed a lesson in Premier League cricket from a Rawdon side that looked every inch a title contender.

Harrogate Women arrived knowing they faced one of the league’s strongest teams. The visitors have made huge strides in recent seasons and continue to be a side to watch with a mixture of big hitting and great fielding. What they encountered on Sunday, however, was a side operating at a level that currently sets the benchmark in the division.

Blown Off Course

Winning the toss Rawdon put Harrogate into bat first, and the visitors began with enough purpose to suggest that they could make a contest of the afternoon.

The wind whipped over the surface as openers Tijana Metcalfe and Chloe Pipe looked in the mood to repel the home team’s attack. However, it wasn’t long before the Rawdon bowlers were causing plenty of problems.

As I settled on the boundary, I was having a lot of problems keeping the camera pointed in the direction I wanted…as the headwind was hitting me hard. At that point, I wondered how on earth the players were able to cope with the strong gusts coming up over the hill.

Aeolus was enjoying himself.

A couple of quick wickets left Harrogate on 30 for two, and they needed a passage of play that would allow them to stifle the accurate bowling. Rawdon doubled down and got the ball to drift in the wind, spin impressively on the surface, and a couple of times got it to rear up at the batter forcing hurried decisions and uncomfortable strokes to be played.

But it was the fielding that really shone. It seemed that if the ball went in the air, there were a safe pair of Rawdon hands getting to it before it could bounce! All ten of the Harrogate wickets to fall were caught. Some were routine catches, but a few were more spectacular, or even exceptional…a catch taken diving forward and getting fingers around the ball an inch from the ground; and a ball plucked out of the air with one hand on the boundary when a six looked odds-on!

30 for two became 35 for three, then 36 for 5. The visitors were struggling and desperately needed a partnership to anchor their innings, but unfortunately, Rawdon weren’t in the mood to let that happen.

Harrogate’s innings eventually closed on 52 all out, and you knew that the hosts had already won the game. The question was, could the visitors get a few wickets before the inevitable happened?

Rawdon’s Innings Takes Off

Defending 52 would require something extraordinary.

Harrogate’s bowlers deserve credit for going on the attack where possible, searching for wickets and taking a few despite the low target Rawdon were chasing. And it is their resilience that is one of the more impressive things that has developed within this Harrogate side over the past couple of seasons.

Rawdon, though, never looked in any sort of trouble despite losing three wickets.

Their batting reflected the same calm efficiency that had characterised their endeavours in the field. The chase became an exercise in calm and controlled batting, with Holly Cowper and Steph Robinson hitting 19 from 18 deliveries, and 14 from ten respectively…helping the home side reach 54 for three in just under 11 overs to win the game.

The wind remained a factor throughout, though it eased slightly as the afternoon progressed. Even so, Rawdon’s approach suggested a side capable of adapting to whatever conditions presented themselves. They completed the chase comfortably to secure victory and reinforce their credentials as genuine Premier League contenders.

A Bigger Picture

Results rarely tell the whole story, and that is certainly true here.

Yes, this was a low-scoring game that essentially was one sided, however, saying that without any context would act as a disservice, certainly to Harrogate, but also to Rawdon. 

For the home team, this was a statement. Strong bowling, outstanding fielding and disciplined batting combined to produce a display that looked worthy of a team with title chasing ambitions. Looking back at all the games I’ve covered over the past three years, I don’t think I’ve seen a better team performance. Everything just clicked, every player was seemingly in form.

For Harrogate, the scoreboard may make uncomfortable reading, yet there were still positives beneath the headline figures. We know they have great batters in the team – Tia Metcalfe, her sister Caitlin, Libby Fox, and of course Yorkshire County Cricket’s Amelia Oliver…but today wasn’t their day.

Commitment remained throughout, the bowling effort was superb, and there was visible frustration among players at avoidable dismissals. Oddly enough, that frustration can be healthy. It suggests standards are still rising, and as we know, development is rarely a straight line. There is a depth of talent in the Harrogate squad.

The Wind Abates

As the players packed away equipment and the wind finally began to loosen its grip on Rawdon, one imagines Aeolus looking down with some satisfaction. He had spent the afternoon causing mischief wherever possible.

Yet even the keeper of the winds would have struggled to influence the outcome.

On this occasion, Rawdon were simply the stronger side.

A set of images from the game will follow...

I went out looking to cover a Theakston Nidderdale League game, but ended up covering a superb Airedale & Wharfedale Cricket League game that went down to the wire.

You can read all about it on Cricket Yorkshire.

At Hunslet Nelson Cricket Club in Leeds today for the Yorkshire Cricket Foundation's Chance to Shine event in the build up to the T20 Women's World Cup.

Following the Yorkshire Cricket Foundation’s successful event at Thornaby Cricket Club the day before, Thursday saw Caught Light travel the relatively short distance to Ripon Cricket Club for our second Chance to Shine event of the week. 

Ripon is another of those beautiful Yorkshire clubs that provides superb facilities for events such as this, and with everyone looking forward to the T20 Women’s World Cup that starts in a few days’ time – it made it even more special.

The day featured a varied programme including walking cricket, softball cricket, and a colour glow cricket game – which the children (and many adults) absolutely loved taking part in. Adding to that were food stalls, a magician walking around to meet people, face painting, a Lacuna Sports stand, St. Michael’s Hospice raising money, a DJ playing throughout the day, a batting challenge, a chance to meet the Mayor of Ripon…and so much more!