And Rome Wasn't Built in a Day
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
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.
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.
A set of images of the game will follow...
