Match Report by Matt Harding

“The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team”
Phil Jackson, former Chicago Bulls coach

“No cricket team in the world depends on one or two players. The team always plays to win”
Virat Kohli, Indian test cricketer

“The most annoying-ist team I’ve ever played”
Unknown New Farnley U13s team member

The strength of each member of the U13s was on show in the final match of the season at New Farnley CC. The strength of the team and the club was too. And the team didn’t rely on one or two to carry them home.

Lightcliffe’s U13s didn’t win any of the three leagues they played in this season. They didn’t win any of the cup competitions. If we’re being brutally honest, they didn’t win as many matches as we’d have liked.

But to dismiss this season as a failure would be hugely unfair on all of the boys. And on their coaches and their families and supporters.

Their victory over New Farnley wasn’t just revenge for the loss there earlier in the season. It was a sign of the progress every single player on the field has made. The positives of the 2026 season massively outweigh the negatives. Retirements, highest scores and five-fors rightly grab the headlines. But stopping that ball before the boundary rope that you’d have missed before, holding that catch you wouldn’t have attempted previously or simply avoiding wides and no balls in your first over are in some ways more important. Little victories that lead to bigger ones.

There were loads of positives at New Farnley. The highlight was undoubtedly Isaac’s 4 for 10 off his two overs. He was a whisker away from his wicket haul being double that. Those figures are a reflection of that progress. And every player showed that.

From George and Bosh controlling the strike at the tail to ensure as high a score as possible to Aidan’s four boundaries in a well-earnt and well-deserved 18-run knock. From Henners’ at times unplayable spin to Alexander’s miserly bowling and sharpness in the field, the team stepped up. The scorecard doesn’t record his magnificent diving attempt for a caught and bowled. But we will here. It was another sign of that improvement.

Charlie did what Charlie does. Retiring not out and only 7 coming off his 2 overs.

Jim hit a quick 13 with 3 shots finding the rope. He also now holds the title of ‘most inventive reason for needing a new bat’….
”I played the right shot, but my bat’s too short so when the ball stayed low it went under it, if I had a slightly bigger one, I’d have hit it”

As the game reached its conclusion, he happily stepped aside to let Jonty bowl when he was due to deliver his second over. A decision made for the good of the team. And it was a good one. Jonty vindicated that move, taking the final, winning wickets.

New Farnley’s total of 126 contained only 3 byes and 3 leg byes. We have Nico to thank for that. He’s worked really hard on his keeping this season and it’s showed.

We finish with a special mention for Seth. Getting hit for six is demoralising at the best of times. But in your last over in your last match as an U13? Ending things that way would have been cruel. Following it with a wicket was a great way to sign off and another example of how the team have matured.

So, how do we sum up the performances over the campaign?
Committed? Focused? Definitely.

Annoying-ist? Well, they’ve all had their moments, but one of the things that we should all be proud of as their supporters is the way they’ve conducted themselves over the last few months. And how they’ve cheered each other in the good times and, more importantly, backed each other when things got a bit tougher.

It’ll be winter nets before you know it. And we’ll go again. Up The Villagers!