Clubs' bulletin no 1 of 2026 - 15 January 

 

Clubs are reminded that the 2026 ball-ordering process is unchanged from last year, and orders should be placed in good time for delivery. The updated link for Reader balls, with our new clubs added, is: https://kookaburra.formstack.com/forms/south_yorkshire_cricket_league 

 

Clubs will be invoiced directly by the suppliers, but the balls will be delivered to the League for distribution at the Pre-Season Meeting on Wednesday 8 April 2026, in the usual way, so clubs can ignore the ‘delivery address’ field when ordering. 

 

 

The criteria for 2026 have now been released and are published on our website. 

 

 

All 2026 league and cup fixtures are now set up on Play-Cricket. 

 

Clubs are reminded that the deadline for rearranging fixtures is 31 January. Only two of the necessary rearrangements have as yet been finalised. Fixtures rearranged after that date will be subject to Competition Rule 25.i (extended to 31st January as the fixtures were late in being published). This means that only four points each will be awarded in the case of games rearranged after that date, and where a positive result was not reached in 75% of the games in that division played on the original date, due to ground and/or weather conditions. 

 

 

Agency Club Sports have supported over 150 grassroots football teams across Yorkshire with kit sponsorships and trophies and are now extending the same opportunity to cricket clubs. 

 

As well as sponsorship, they can provide clubs with a fully managed online shop where players, parents and supporters can purchase kit, training wear and merchandise, with clubs able to choose the garments and set the pricing, building in a margin that raises funds for the club throughout the year. For example, https://agencyclubsports.co.uk/undercliffe-cricket-club/. To register interest, go to https://acs.rokitmailer.com/moreinfo-page 

 

 

The invoices for league annual subscriptions, including the YCF affiliation fees, will be generated and sent to clubs via the Play-Cricket action centre on 31 January 2026. The subscriptions and fees remain unchanged for 2026. 

 

 

A number of Safe Hands courses are now available across the county, including several in South Yorkshire. For more information and to book, go to http://www.yorkshirecb.com/page/clubs--leagues/safeguarding/available-safe-hands-courses-14178/. 

 

 

Six PCS Pro scoring courses have now been arranged, at: 

 

• Millhouses Works CC, Sheffield S7 2QL – Saturday 17 January – 10am - 1pm 

• Millhouses Works CC, Sheffield S7 2QL – Monday 19 January – 6pm to 9pm 

• Pledwick CC, Wakefield WF2 6QE – Wednesday 4 February – 6.30pm to 9.30pm 

• Warmsworth CC, Doncaster DN4 9JY – Saturday 14 February – 12noon - 4pm 

• Kirk Balk School, Barnsley S74 9HX – Wednesday 18 February – 6pm to 9pm 

• Monk Bretton CC, Barnsley S71 2SP – Saturday 21 March – 10am to 1pm 

 

To book any of these, please go to https://forms.office.com/r/bdHUeY0agT. In the event of any queries, please contact Steve Ward. 

 

 

The programme of events for the coming months is: 

 

Wed 11 February; 7.15pm – AGM, followed by Mark Robinson OBE at 7.30 

Tues 24 February; 7.30pm – Stephen Chalke, cricket author & publisher 

Wed 11 March; 7.30pm - Andy Moles, author and formerly Warwickshire CCC 

Wed 18 March; 7.30pm – Colin Graves CBE, former chairman of YCCC 

Wed 25 March; 7 for 7.30pm – supper with Richard Illingworth, international umpire (must be pre-booked) 

Wed 8 April; 7.30pm – Geoff Miller OBE, formerly Derbyshire CCC & England 

Mon 27 April; 6.45 for 7.30pm – annual dinner with Graham Gooch & Geoff Miller 

 

More information is on the Society website at https://www.sheffieldcricketlovers.org.uk/ 

 

 

The treasurer will shortly be invoicing clubs who did not provide a panel or club umpire for the required number of games in 2025, in accordance with the Administrative Rule in force last season, which required them to pay a levy. If any club believes that there is any reason why they should not be required to pay the levy, they should contact the League chairman, with full details, within 14 days of receipt of the invoice. 

 

 

The following courses may now be booked: 

 

• Module B course, Elsecar CC, Saturday 21 March. To book, go to https://booking.ecb.co.uk/mRVRnX 

• Umpire Development Course, Elsecar CC, Saturday 21 February & Sunday 1 March (both 9.30am – 4.00pm). Please note that participants must attend both days. To book, go to https://booking.ecb.co.uk/vYXBNg 

 

These courses are open to anyone who has attended an ECB umpiring course and wants to go on the league panel as an umpire. They will enhance your knowledge of the laws and build on what you have learned on the ECB Umpires Course. The courses are also open to anyone from your club who may wish to help as a club umpire but not necessarily want to go onto the umpire’s panel.