Woodhouse Grange Cricket Club’s plans for 2025 season are well advanced
Last week's Woodhouse Grange Cricket Club AGM heard plans are well advanced for the 2025 Yorkshire Premier League North campaign, with three players already signed up for next year’s first team.
Woodhouse were somewhat disappointed with their fifth place in the 2024 final table, writes Phil Gilbank.
But a village team finishing behind runaway leaders Clifton Alliance and big guns Castleford, York and Harrogate was an achievement in itself.
Freddie Collins, Tom Neal, and James Finch each took over 25 league wickets, while Chris Bilton, Harry Gamble, Lee Goddard, and Imal Liyanage all scored 500 plus Premiership runs; with young keeper Joe Hall also impressing with the bat.
The other three senior Saturday sides and six junior teams all had their 2024 high spots; the two midweek senior and junior mixes ending second and third in the Foss top division. The 2nds gained promotion to the new YPLN Premiership 2.
The juniors are bringing through several talented performers, the U13As winning their league and U13Bs reaching a cup final.
Individually, Alex Collins Jr, Charlie Cooper, Freddie Carrington, Louie Goddard and Joe Nesbitt all gained regional or district representative recognition.
The AGM confirmed James Finch as 1st XI captain for a seventh year, with the other teams led by Matthew Ainley 2nds, Dan Wilson 3rds and Dave Shanks 4ths.
Finch has all of last year's regulars confirmed for 2025, overseas Liyanage indicating his intention to return despite more lucrative offers from elsewhere.
He was in blistering form last week in Qatar's T20 World Cup qualifiers, blasting rapid half centuries in successive games.
Half a dozen newcomers are also heading to Woodhouse for 2025.
New signings include Zac Wilson from relegated Easingwold, a 6'7'' all-rounder with 18 Premier wickets and 400 runs in 2024.
Charlie Marshall is another tall seamer who joins from Acomb, while young off-spinner Jack Dyson switches from the Bradford League.
Other incomers likely to feature lower down are father and son Mick and Ryan Thompson from Heslington and South Milford's Joe Barr.
Off the pitch Michelle Burdett is the new club chair with Rob Smith secretary, while players and supporters all hope for a drier summer.