Castle Hill Cricket Chat. A Huddersfield Cricket League Podcast

The July CHCC Pod is here with a then and now feel to the show. We have Dave Weston joining the usual cricketing bandits. Dave is an avid listener and was a top cricketer back in the 80’s to 00’s with two clubs close to his heart; Scholes and Barkisland. Dave is also joined by his son Matty who to paraphrase Dave is “A much better batter than me!”. Matty is having another superb season with his bo...

Enjoying the oldest and greatest Test Series in the world? Well, settle in at lunch and tea to listen to our special Ashes Edition of Castle Hill Cricket Chat. We roped in three Australians thoroughly pumped to be playing on our shores this summer. Holmfirth’s Kye Zanardi, Zac Hurley (Golcar) and Matt Schubert who is Almondbury Wesleyans’ overseas man and all are in debut seasons in the UK. We cau...

Just a quickie in this episode as we hooked in League Administration Office Mark Binns to provide an update on how the approach towards overseas cricketers will be next season. As the Huddersfield Cricket League evolves into becoming an ECB Premier League, of course certain caveats and changes will follow with regards to overseas cricketers. Yes, being an ECB League Club with Clubmark status means...

It’s time for a detailed career deep dive. An episode where we look closely into the career of one of our league’s standout players of the past and present. With Ryan Robinson, not many have such a decorated career to reflect on. Ryan has played for the league’s top clubs and won just about everything there was to win. From modest roots at Emley, Ryan talked about his early days, trying to break i...

The latest episode of Castle Hill Cricket Chat summarised what’s happened in the Huddersfield Cricket League since we last met two weeks ago (a lot!). The brand new T20 format launched properly to great success so we gave our thoughts on what we saw. Plus the Sykes Cup R2 and Quarter Final was reviewed and previewed. We also found time to look at the increasing phenomenon of being out on either 49...

A special Castle Hill Cricket Chat podcast episode this week as we welcome Craig Horner, AKA Jack Horner, onto the show to talk about his 30 year career. Craig made his debut in English cricket back in 1993 for Lascelles Hall where he won the league in his first ever season, and the only time he became a Byrom Shield winner. He went on to have three spells at Hall, and played at Skelmanthorpe and...

Castle Hill Cricket Chat is a regular podcast where us chaps shoot the breeze about Huddersfield Cricket League. We’ve got bigger by precisely 25% after Jacob Mulhall joins us as a regular fourth co-host and was precisely the cricketing badger we were seeking to snare for so long! This week, we discussed the growing problem of player behaviour that has made the HCL chairman compelled to write an o...

The final Captain’s special preview comes from newly promoted Mirfield Parish Cavaliers’ skipper Tom Fretwell as he looks forward to Saturday’s opener and the season ahead. Proud Parish lad Tom is Mirfield born and bred and has experiences all the highs, lows and everything in between at his club. Tom's a frontline bowler for Mirfield Parish and the experienced seamer claimed nearly 200 wicket...

It was a false start as far as cricket may be concerned but it didn’t stop the regular Castle Hill Podcast men from dissecting the latest news in their pre-season special. Recorded entirely on location for the first time (Thank you Golcar Cricket Club. Apologies for the background noise!) Steve, Andrew and Jamie welcomed previous guest and all-round good egg Jacob Mulhall in the location of his ne...

We're nearly at the close of our roundup of club captains all from each club in the Premiership. The penultimate episode features Chris Holliday (Hoylandswaine). The Barnsley-based club have been the team to catch in most ways and since they joined the league - which doesn't seem that long ago back in 2009 - they've been making tidal waves and ruffling feathers amongst the staple clubs...

With the opening day within reach now, the Castle Hill Cricket Chat podcast talked to the tenth skipper in this mini-series; Allan Greenwood from Skelmanthorpe. As always, distilling the thoughts of all those main men at each Premiership club - the cricketing brains you might say - has been varied and interesting and this was no exception. Allan Greenwood, a T20 Shield winner with his side in 2021...

Another Castle Hill Cricket Chat Captain's Special - a daily episode where we bring on a top flight skipper and get a closer look at their side with the season just days away. There isn't anyone who knows Shepley cricket club more acutely than Danny Glover - a player who's been at the club for most of his entire life. My Podcast co-contributor Steve Whitwam calls him ‘Mr. Shepley’. The...

Each day this week Castle Hill Cricket Chat interviewed each Premiership captain on how they were feeling heading into the start of the season which is only days away. Thongsbridge skipper Alex Kemp is the guest who's turn it is in the spotlight. Alex has been a keystone at the club for some time now. He was part of their side that gained promotion in 2016 and has led them well, finishing in t...

The league’s official podcast; Castle Hill Cricket Chat, is on day six of their chats with each Premiership skipper on the eve of the season. Eddie Walmsley (Moorlands) is today’s guest. Eddie has led Moorlands to glory in the Sykes Cup for the last two seasons, as well as a 2021 T20 triumph. Aside from an uncomfortable at times league campaign last year, they pushed champions Hoylandswaine most o...

The Castle Hill Cricket Chat podcast relentlessly picks out another episode with another skipper, eager to get the season started. Bryn Jenkins from Almondbury Wesleyan. Bryn helped steer his team to the holy grail of Premiership safety last season. He's looking to follow up that achievement and put behind his club's modest status by asserting themselves as a top flight heavyweight. Bryn w...

The Castle Hill Cricket Chat, the league’s official podcast, puts a Premiership captain in the spotlight each day this week. In this episode Benji Birkhead; Scholes’ captain reflects on last season and looks ahead to the new campaign. This is the fifth installment of our daily catch ups and Benji, a fantastic player for his club, has taken up the captaincy at Chapelgate and is itching to stamp his...

Following the captain and secretary’s pre-season meeting on 6th April, Castle Hill Cricket Chat sat down with three of the main individuals who headed up the meeting, to give a debrief about what it was all about. David Ward from the ECB who helps run the Who’s The Umpire software that will be in use for the first season explained his role and how the software will be used. Mark Binns, the Assista...

Ahead of the new season, the Castle Hill Cricket Chat podcast has interviewed a bunch of Premiership skippers with this episode centring on experienced Honley man Danny Howard. Danny, who’s been at Honley for over twenty years since cutting his teeth at Thongsbridge, has enjoyed a stellar club career being part of a title-winning Honley side in the 00’s along with several cups and trophies. Howeve...

With the new season fast approaching, the Castle Hill Cricket Chat podcast took a Premiership captain aside each day. This episode it was Jake Finch from Barkisland who gave us his observations for the new campaign. One of several brothers who are involved at Barkisland, it's Jake’s first season as captain after performing as vice captain for some time. He’s learnt his trade from two influenti...

In anticipation to the 2023 season the Castle Hill Cricket Chat podcast elected to interview a swath of pumped up Premiership skippers relishing the season ahead. This episode features Kirkburton’s captain Jonathan Butterfield. Jonny has been heading up first team operations at Riley Lane for three seasons, if you include the Covid-affected T30 year. In that time he’s helped mould Kirkburton from...

In anticipation to the 2023 season the Castle Hill Cricket Chat podcast elected to interview a swath of pumped up Premiership skippers relishing the season ahead. This episode welcomes new Broad Oak captain Fletcher Coutts. Fletcher, who made a huge impact with the Linthwaite-based club during his first season last year, takes on the main role for this campaign. He reflected on how his first seaso...

We invited another intriguing guest, held in high esteem for his exploits in league cricket with the bat where he has made over 22,000 career runs.  In this show, Paul Winrow goes through his outstanding career with spells in the Bradford League, Central Lancashire League and the now defunct Pennine League but it was with Huddersfield Cricket League clubs Barkisland, Elland and Shelley where...

This New Years episode we invited one of the hardest-to-pin-down men in the parish, but it was definitely worth the wait. If anyone has ever shared a field with this man, then you will know that field is usually well lit and as colourful as he is. So, inbetween mini breaks to Benidorm and the busy world of construction around Kirklees Dale Winterbottom was kind enough to donate his time and give u...

Castle Hill Cricket Chat, the podcast all about the Huddersfield Cricket League returned after a break where the three regulars; Jamie, Andrew and Steve lamented the ramifications of the relegation battle in which two of the contributors teams were ones to suffer. The chaps reflected on a season of highs and lows, which teams were the surprise packages and which had campaigns to remember (or forge...

As we’re coming up to the thin end of the wedge where cricket’s concerned. All the major flagship finals have been and gone and what memorable ones they were too. We had a look at who were celebrating silverware already and cast a close eye on the state of play in the leagues. We also threw our spotlight onto Denby who, next season will be their tenth in the Huddersfield Cricket Club and have been...