Castle Hill Cricket Chat. A Huddersfield Cricket League Podcast

We’ve just passed the halfway point of the season and, as predicted, it has been as competitive as it has ever been. The Premiership is one huge mixed salad with just about all clubs apart from the top three fighting to stay out of the relegation zone. There was big news announced by the league as they bid to become the 30th ECB Premier League so what does that entail for the clubs? The chaps here...

After the third week since the start of the season, the Premiership couldn’t be any more competitive with everyone just about beating everyone. It’s a vivid watch and with plenty of weeks left, there’s going to be a lot of brilliant, agonising and surreal moments to come. We had the pleasure of welcoming on to the Podcast one of the most, if not THE most successful captains in Huddersfield Cricket...

In week two of the 2022 season, we have had yet more incredible cricketing achievements and who we’re zoning in on this time is Rastrick’s Jacob Waterson, a batsman-wicketkeeper that somehow flayed a huge double century, yet his team ended up empty handed!  Jacob was a great sport and filled us in on the events at Round Hill, the curious little ground right by the M62 that must get more views...

This week on Castle Hill Cricket Chat, the boys reflect on an opening day that was not short of its usual drama and pulsating matches. In fact, it was a day that records were broken as Linthwaite’s Abdullah Manzoor broke the bowling record for a match. In his first match. Having not played for three months. What a performance!  Abdullah was kind enough to come on the podcast to share his expe...

With the new season on our respective doorsteps, Jamie and Andrew (sans Steve) waded through the list of new season signings in and around the clubs of our league.  Josh Brook, Scholes’ 1XI captain and the second time he’s been skippering the team, was on hand to give his take on the new arrivals at Chapelgate, not to mention the new faces around the Premiership. Josh talked in depth about wh...

After an extended break, the Podcast trio of Jamie, Andrew and Steve returned with aplomb with episode 27 and got straight into one of the biggest pressures facing the Huddersfield Cricket League (and indeed, all club cricket leagues!); the dwindling numbers of umpires. After addressing any new developments in the game since they last spoke, back in November, the trio got stuck into one of the big...

Episode 26 takes a look at one of the performances of the season which won the Johnny Hunter Award. Tim Orrell from Mirfield Parish Cavaliers pulled out all the stops from a losing position in a crunch match at home to Delph & Dobcross last June. Tim talks us through how that performance came about and looks back on his illustrious club career as captain at Woodlands to the 12 year stay which...

In Episode 25, Hall Bower lynchpin Russell Evans, the second recipient of a Lady Sykes Candlestick chats to us about his devotion to Bower. His career began in the late-80’s and last season was his final campaign, nicely bookended by the prestigious award. A wicketkeeper for many years, Russ goes through the highs and lows of his time as captain of the club and in later years, just one who has mad...

Episode 24 brings us one of the recipients of the Lady Sykes Candlesticks, Skelmanthorpe’s James Crossland. ‘Crossy’ has now brought his twenty year career to a close but has a wealth of memories to look back on. A time where he bowled at some of the best cricketers we’ve ever seen in the Huddersfield League. James reflects on his time at the only club he’s played for, where he cut his teeth and j...

In Episode 23, the youngest award winner Ben Balmforth talks with us about how he felt winning the Reg Haigh Most Promising Young Cricketer Award. The young Thongsbridge quick bowler has enjoyed a stellar beginning to his career at Premiership level, helping his team become one of the most dangerous sides in the top division. Ben talks about how his game has evolved since being ‘a little midget up...

This week we’re releasing a torrent of capsule episodes of our official Podcast; Castle Hill Cricket Chat. Five episodes, one per day, centred around the key award winners. In Episode 22, our regular teammate and record-breaking player Steve Whitwam discusses his tenth Jack Gledhill Memorial Trophy for best all-rounder of the season. Steve continues to go from strength to strength at 40 years of a...

Just a quick one this week, and solo too. The events at Yorkshire County Cricket League this week have been shocking to say the least and we do extend our support to Asim Rafiq. The strains, pressures and spotlight that he has come under during his time with the county and in the following weeks can not have been an easy place to be. Obviously the full picture is yet to come out but hopefully, it...

Episode 20 of Castle Hill Cricket Chat comes in a different flavour. To many listeners to the podcast, it may be surprising to learn that there is a leadership election about to take place in the coming days; only the second time it has happened in over thirty years. Chris Ridler; a nomination from Holmfirth Cricket Club that has been put forward to contest the Chairman’s position. Currently Trevo...

The cricket season may have finished but that’s no reason to pack up and hibernate for the winter. There was lots to unpack as another thrilling season drew to a close and the Castle Hill Cricket Chat podcast did precisely that as Jamie, Andrew and Steve reflected on the highs and lows of the season. Several players, moments and matches engaged and entertained over the past 12 months; the first pr...

This week was one of the most dramatic climaxes to a final seen in recent years. Hoylandswaine, undoubtedly searing hot favourites to retain the trophy were usurped by Moorlands, the closest pretenders to their throne. Our guest on this episode is actually a player who was on the losing side on that electrifying flagship occasion. Max Morley, currently enjoying his best season ever at club level h...

Kristian Whittaker, our guest for episode 17, is a Skelmanthorpe lad and has spent around twenty years on and off with the club he holds dear. He’s immensely proud to have an incredibly successful sister - Jodie - that many will have seen on screen. But whilst his thespian sibling rides around in a blue police box in front of millions, Kristian is most happy being a key component of ‘Shat Bangers’...

In episode 16, it’s one of the most exciting weeks in the calendar with the Sykes Cup Final; the showpiece occasion and main event as far as cricket is concerned. The Sykes Cup - the first team main knockout competition - is 102 years old and has provided copious amounts of thrills, spills and bellyaches. Our guest on this episode is someone who knows this competition well. Ash Pamment has devoted...

Welcome to Castle Hill Cricket Chat. A weekly delve into the ins, outs and shake-it-all-abouts of Huddersfield cricket.  We had a slight change to our batting lineup after seasoned all-rounder and voice of wisdom Steve Whitwam departed off to sunny Scarborough. So, Steve’s own delegated stand-in is Jacob Mulhall who is every bit the consummate professional as Cobber, and of course my other co...

After a two week break for unforeseen reasons The chaps at Castle Hill Cricket Podcast are back to digest some big cricket stuff! The Sykes Cup Semi Final part two is coming up this coming weekend. Brawny Premiership heavyweights Moorlands take on nimble Championship upstarts Skelmanthorpe in what promises to be an excellent mouthwatering fixture. So who better to cast their eye over this than reg...

On this week’s Castle Hill Cricket Chat podcast we take a slightly different angle in and around club cricket when welcoming our next guest to the show; Tom Graham from Slaithwaite. Tom has been a key component at Slaithwaite for a decade now; starting as someone who plays just as much in the seconds as in the firsts. He’s someone who has had to step up on countless occasions to serve his club wel...

There was so much to cram in the latest episode of Castle Hill Cricket Chat; our weekly musings, ramblings and reviewing of all the cricket action this week. All cup competitions are in full throttle so we unpacked and lamented the notable moments. For ‘The Opener’ we’ve just heard the cup draws for the last four all our domestic cup competitions which threw out an odd and unique equation, making...

Is it really June already? You’re damn right it is! We’re a third of the way through an enthralling season - really it couldn’t be any more exciting with drama-soaked weekends at every turn. This week saw the start of both T20 competitions; the T20 Shield and the T20 Trophy as barbeques were lit all around Huddersfield and beyond, which seemed the perfect opportunity to ask our guests whether they...

The league was very recently rocked after the passing away of one of its most beloved figureheads, Roger France. The president passed away this week after a prolonged battle with cancer and leaves behind his loyal wife Judith. We on the podcast like to look at cricket through the lens of the lighthearted, but we feel it’s our duty to look back and reflect on Rogers influence within our game. He, o...

From a village with a population of just 300, Thurstonland are one of the youngest Huddersfield Cricket League clubs (joining in 2014) but their long history lies with their long association in the sadly missed Huddersfield Central League. Our guest in episode 9 of Castle Hill Cricket Chat is Russell Mottram who has been in control of the captaincy reins at Thurstonland since 2018 and has overseen...

Off the pitch, Lascelles Hall Cricket Club has contained more drama and turbulence than a typical Line of Duty series. The last ten years of this bastion of local cricket have seen moments which makes it incredibly hard to think how they’ve survived. But survive they did and it’s no more thanks to dedicated and devoted players and club committee members like Richard Shaw; our most recent guest to...