BBICL 2023 — Firth Park Warriors Take the Crown

BBICL 2023 brought winter Saturdays alive at Sheffield Park Academy: four games a week, noise from the sidelines and knockout drama. Across 32 matches, 110 players smashed 6,788 runs and took 383 wickets before Firth Park Warriors sealed it — a composed run-chase in the final against Firvale Falcons. Community backing, new sponsors, and rising young talent made this the league’s most complete season yet.

BBICL 2023 Snapshot

Venue:

Sheffield Park Academy

Dates:

Sat 7 Oct – Sat 9 Dec 2023

Format:

8-team round-robin → Playoffs & Final · Indoor windball cricket

Teams:

Burngreave Tigers · Darnall Dynamites · Firth Park Warriors · Firvale Falcons · Handsworth Strikers · Netheredge Knights · Oughtibridge Outlaws · Pagehall Panthers

Results:

Firth Park Warriors beat Firvale Falcons by 7 wickets (Final)

By the Numbers:

110 participants · 32 matches · 6,788 runs · 383 wickets

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Pressure Knockouts — Highlights

Qualifier — Burngreave Tigers vs Firth Park Warriors (FPW won by 6 wkts)

Tension never arrived. Asif Mohmand’s 3-12 throttled Burngreave; Saqib Hussain’s 27* off 14 balls finished the job with nearly five overs to spare. Ticket to the final, punched.

Eliminator 1 — Firvale Falcons vs Handsworth Strikers (FF won by 30 runs)

Firvale’s 114/6 — lit by Amir Shahzad’s 43 (26) with four maximums — proved far too many. A 30-run win sent the Falcons to a winner-takes-all with Burngreave.

Eliminator 2 — Firvale Falcons vs Burngreave Tigers (FF won by 17 runs)

Yahya Ahmed (30 off 22) and captain Munazzam Hussain (27) set 97. Burngreave’s reply never hit cruise; Jawad Akhtar’s 37 (34) wasn’t enough against disciplined bowling.

Final — Firth Park Warriors vs Firvale Falcons (FPW won by 7 wkts)

Firvale were restricted to 51/7 in 10 overs; Firth Park’s attack allowed just eight runs across the five overs bowled by Asif (2-3) and Saqib (1-5). In reply, Saqib retired on 28 (21) and 16-year-old Hasan Ali finished 15* to close it with ease.

The Big Bash Indoor Cricket League (BBICL) returned to a new rhythm in 2023: Saturday nights, four fixtures back-to-back, one hall humming. By the numbers it was a record-breaker — 110 participants across 32 matches, 6,788 runs, and 383 wickets — but what people will remember is the finishing composure of Firth Park Warriors.

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League Phase — tight margins

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Eight teams met each other once. The top four finished level on 10 points, separated by decimal places in Net Run Rate. Firth Park topped the pack with Burngreave second, both earning the “second life” in the Playoffs.

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Finals Day — quick beats

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With the league phase wrapped, Finals Day brought sharp, intense cricket. Firth Park secured their passage from the first qualifier, Firvale battled through the eliminators, and the title match swung on Firth Park’s discipline with ball and calm in the chase. Full scorecards and ball‑by‑ball: see league stats on CricClubs.

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Sponsors & community

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Kits and presentation matter — they lift standards and pride. Thank you to the partners behind the shirts: Aspire 1 Performance & Kash Legal Services (Firth Park Warriors), Potato Oven & Apna Mirpur Jewellers (Firvale Falcons), Alison Law Solicitors & Azuri Lounge (Burngreave Tigers), Mother Hubbards (Handsworth Strikers), Café Indus (Netheredge Knights).

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Why it mattered

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The league felt bigger than the scoreboard: more players, better kit, and a clear ladder from juniors to the men’s game. Saturdays became a habit — a positive one — and the benches felt like a family stand again.

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Spotlight Awards — BBICL 2023

Award

Player

Team

Numbers

Player of the Tournament

Saqib Hussain

Firth Park Warriors

3× MOTM including the Final

Batting Award

Nasser Rasool

Handsworth Strikers

210 runs (Avg 52.50, SR 154.41).

Bowling Award

Asif Muhmand

Firth Park Warriors

18 wickets (Best 4-15, Econ 4.3).

Full league stats →

Tips from the Top Performers

"Play your shots where your strengths are and wait for it to come to your strong area, then commit 100% to the shot.

Target the weakest bowlers — before you go out to bat you know in your mind who to attack and who to survive; for example, left-arm seamers are a big threat so I play extra cautious."

— Saqib Hussain

MVP

"Play with confidence — batting is all in the mind. By having positive body language you're showing that you have a positive mindset — that will create scoring opportunities."

— Nasser Rasool

Leading Run Scorer

What’s Next?

BBICL 2023 proved the model: quality presentation, full squads, and a pathway for rising players. Next up, more indoor men’s cricket with the Sheffield Indoor Cup in January 2024 at Concord Sports Centre — see you after the winter break.