Bishopthorpe Cricket Club needs new players to keep going

Bishopthorpe Cricket Club, which plays home matches in the Yorkshire Premier League Division Four in Ferry Lane, is on a recruitment drive to increase its pool of players.

The club is hosting a ‘meet the players’ evening at 7.30pm on Tuesday February 20 at The Marcia Inn, in Main Street in the village.

More than a half-century of memories from Sally Astbury, a Bishopthorpe resident whose father Syd Kershaw played from the 1970s onwards, Mike Dale, who joined as a teenager, and Ed Townend. (Image: Kevin Glenton)

One of the players, Ed Townend said: “The league’s open for those aged 14 and above, male and female, so we’re encouraging everyone who qualifies to play to get involved.

“The club’s open to all so if anybody’s interested, come along and have a chat to us on Tuesday night.”

Notices have been placed in Bishopthorpe (bottom left) but players and supporters are welcomed from further afield (Image: Kevin Glenton)

Ed said the challenge of fielding 11 players week in week out is not exclusive to his club but there is no commitment required to play all of the 24 matches in a league season.

He said: “We just want people that can contribute, even if it’s one or two games, or five or six.

“I can only do half the matches because of work commitments and family.”

Ed said that among the 20 players the club were able to call on last season, there’s a bundle of kit that anyone who turns up can choose from, playing equipment like pads and bats will be provided and spiked shoes are not required.

He said: “If money is an issue for people, you don’t pay – it’s as simple as that.

“We’d rather have a team out than see £10 go in a bean tin and sit in a cupboard.

“The parish council have said that if we’re able to get a team together they would look to try and support us which is great.

“Someone from the team still makes the teas, it’s traditional village cricket.”

Mike Dale, 37, has played for the club for more than 20 years.

He said: “It’s a group that creates lifelong friends.

“We’ve had some really good times as a playing club, as recently as the last five or six years, we won our league and we’ve held our own after a step up in class.

“I think it’s adult recreational sport in general, you speak to rugby and football clubs, they are all struggling for people to be involved – people have got family commitments, and socially, things have changed over the years.

“Without the players we don’t have a club.”

Ed said: “We’ve had good discussions with the parish council about the facilities.

“There has to be something to try to get families down, but what it looks like, we don’t know.

“There are coffee shops and businesses that are willing to help but it’s got to be worth their while.”

Councillor Michael Nicholls, representing Bishopgate Ward, who also sits on the parish council, said he hoped more support and players could be found from the recruitment posters seen around the village and also that interest could be generated from further afield.

He estimated that around 20 per cent of those who use Bishopthorpe Bowling Club in Acaster Lane come in from outside the village and that the parish council would support the cricket club if Tuesday night’s meeting is successful.

Ed Townend said that a week after Tuesday’s meeting, the players, along with some of former participants who are still involved with the club, will reconvene to consider the next steps for Bishopthorpe Cricket Club.

More information about the club, its 'meet the players' evening and how to express an interest can be found on its Facebook page.