Huddersfield Cricket League

The Drakes Huddersfield Cricket League is the premier cricket competition in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England.

The league has been in existence since 1891 and has 30 teams representing suburbs of Huddersfield and villages in the Huddersfield District area. There are now teams from South Yorkshire and Saddleworth in the League.

A number of local players have come from the Huddersfield League to play for in the English County Championship, mainly for Yorkshire and then have gone on to represent England. Other county players have played club cricket in the Huddersfield League.

Notable players include:

* Chris Balderstone - Paddock, Yorkshire, Leicestershire and England
* Richard Blakey - Elland, Yorkshire and England
* Darren Gough - Shepley, Yorkshire, Essex and England
* Schofield Haigh - Armitage Bridge, Yorkshire and England
* Percy Holmes - Paddock, Yorkshire and England
* Ronnie Irani - Skelmanthorpe, Lancashire, Essex and England
* Allan Lamb - Holmfirth, Northamptonshire and England
* Barrie Leadbeater - Linthwaite and Yorkshire (umpire)
* George Hirst - Kirkheaton, Yorkshire and England
* Wilfred Rhodes - Kirkheaton, Yorkshire and England
* Chris Schofield - Linthwaite, Lancashire, Surrey and England
* Arnie Sidebottom - Golcar, Holmfirth, Honley, Lascelles Hall, Yorkshire and England
* Ryan Sidebottom - Holmfirth, Meltham, Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and England
* Ken Taylor - Primrose Hill, Yorkshire and England
* Willie Watson - Paddock, Yorkshire, Leicestershire and England.
* Craig White - Honley, Yorkshire and England
* Matthew Wood - Emley Clarence, Honley, Lascelles Hall and Yorkshire

Most of the teams have professional players who have come from overseas. A few notable ones include:

* Mansoor Akhtar - Paddock and Pakistan
* Atul Bedade - Golcar and India
* Deighton Butler - Linthwaite and West Indies
* Dilip Doshi - Meltham and India
* Tony Gray - Holmfirth and West Indies
* Ian Harvey - Honley (guest) and Australia
* Andrew Hudson - Holmfirth, Kirkheaton and South Africa
* Wasim Jaffer - Scholes and India
* Garth Le Roux - Lascelles Hall and South Africa
* Madan Lal - Meltham and India
* Shahid Mahmood - Meltham and Pakistan
* Sonny Ramadhin - Golcar (guest) and West Indies
* Gary Sobers - Paddock (guest) and West Indies
* Atul Wassan - Marsden and India

Member Clubs 2008

* Drakes Premiership

Barkisland | Clayton West | Delph & Dobcross | Elland | [http://www.emleyclarence.org.uk Emley Clarence] | Golcar | Holmfirth | Honley | Lascelles Hall | Meltham | Micklehurst | Scholes | Shelley | Shepley | Skelmanthorpe | Slaithwaite

* Cedar Court Conference

Armitage Bridge | Broad Oak | Kexborough | Kirkheaton | Linthwaite | Paddock | Rastrick | Scholes

* Frank Platt Conference

Almondbury | Hall Bower | Kirkburton | Lepton Highlanders | [http://marsden.play-cricket.com Marsden] | Primrose Hill | Slaithwaite | Thongsbridge

* Drakes Premiership 2nd XI

Broad Oak II | Elland II | Golcar II | Holmfirth II | Honley II | Kirkburton II | Meltham II | Micklehurst II | Primrose Hill II | Scholes II | Shelley II | Shepley II | Skelmanthorpe II | Slaithwaite II

* Cedar Court Conference 2nd XI

Armitage Bridge II | Barkisland II | Delph and Dobcross II | Kexborough II | Kirkheaton II | Linthwaite II | Paddock II | Rastrick II

* Frank Platt Conference 2nd XI

Almondbury II | Clayton West II | Emley Clarence II | Hall Bower II | Lascelles Hall II | Lepton Highlanders II | Marsden II | Thongsbridge II

Champions 2008

Drakes Premiership

Winners - Honley Runners Up - Elland

Conference Winners

Cedar Court Conference - Scholes Frank Platt Conference - Slaithwaite

Cup Competitions

Romida Sports Sykes Cup - Barkisland

Spectrum Interiors Paddock Shield - Shepley

Huddersfield Examiner Twenty20 Trophy - Delph & Dobcross

External links

* [http://drakes-huddersfieldcricketleague.co.uk/ Drakes League website]
* [http://www.ckcricketheritage.org.uk/index.htm The Cricket History of Calderdale and Kirklees - find out about Histories of many of the Drakes League teams]