Match Report by Stephen Naylor. Photographs by Bob Horne.

The build up to the game, as so often happens in an English cricket season, included checking the radar, seeing whether the rain was going to stop and questioning whether the light will hold for a 20 over a side game starting at 6pm in April.

But the showers passed and the sun came out for the visitors at Till Carr Lane to win the toss and chose to put Lightcliffe’s lads into bat.

Ollie Wood and Henry Butters were first up with an assured start as the first pair added 36 to the score but the net score pegged back slightly by a wicket in the second over by a great catch. The fact it was by a Lightcliffe player acting as a sub fielder a testament to the sportsmanship of the game - and George Horne’s refusal to want to drop anything.

Harry Wolfenden and George Standeven were next up - both making their U11 league debuts, a fact you really wouldn’t have known as they hit some lovely shots across the ground.

They were followed by Jack Crawshaw and Isaac Thompson who continued to build what had become a solid score with some more clever shots that kept the scoreboard ticking up.

Leo Berry and Jack Jameson, also graduates from the U9s this season, were the penultimate pair. And, as with Harry and George S, they put in an assured performance.

George Horne and Dominic Naylor came in for the final four overs and both played some stylish and clever shots to add 31 to the total.

134/5 was the Lightcliffe total when the innings came to a close - a net 309. When you score over 300 in this format, you know it’s a strong total, but you also know that anything is gettable.

And, to prove that point, Northowram came out with real intent. 26 runs had been quickly added to the scoreboard in their reply in just three overs. The contest was on, Lightcliffe needed to stem the flow.

Step up Dom whose first ball offspin was unplayable. The first wicket an important momentum shift, and the wickets kept falling. Thanks to some brilliant bowling but also thanks to some outstanding fielding.

It was the sort of fielding performance you usually grow into during the season so being able to demonstrate attacking the ball, backing up, run outs, stumping and catches in game one was a huge positive.

2 wickets fell to Jack Crawshaw, 2 to Harry Wolfenden, 2 to George Horne, 1 to Ollie Wood, a second to Dom Naylor and a run out off Jack Jameson’s bowling completed a 10 wicket haul for the young Villagers.

It meant Northowram finished on 96 - a net score of 246 and a win by 63 runs secured.

It was a game where every Lightcliffe player made a boundary and an important contribution. With a strong squad and many more games to come, it promises to be an exciting spring and summer ahead.