Sheffield Cup 2022 returned after two years away — bigger, localised, and louder. Funded by the Yorkshire Cricket Foundation, this was the first indoor programme of its kind in Sheffield, connecting the city’s indoor scene to a new county-wide framework.
Eight teams, 100 players, and packed Saturdays at Sheffield Park Academy brought the community together once again — and by the end, Darnall Dynamites stood tall, lifting their first title and earning the honour of representing Sheffield at the Yorkshire Finals Day in Bradford.
Finishing top of the table with a net run rate miles ahead of the field, Darnall Dynamites dominated from start to finish. Captain Jawad Akhtar — eventual MVP — led a gritty, athletic young side featuring left-arm pace at both ends and a fearless top order.
They sealed the cup with a 70-run win in a one-sided final over Firth Park Warriors and earned the right to represent Sheffield at the Yorkshire Finals in Bradford.
Formerly the Molvi Sixers, Adnan and Zobair Khaliq rebranded to their roots — Firth Park Warriors — to honour where it all began. They finished second in the table (10 points) and once again made the final, their fourth in five attempts. Adnan topped the tournament run charts while Zobair finished as the second-best all-rounder overall, supported by Zeeshan Karamat’s 13 wickets (just one off top spot).
The rebranded Cornered Tigers kept the fire burning with a third-place finish (also on 10 points). Hamzah Hussain’s side rebounded mid-season by switching to spin against City Strikers and then cut loose with the highest team score of the league — 164/4 vs Tinsley Thunder (View Scorecard). Their dream ended in the semi-final against FPW, falling 18 runs short of 100.
The final was a clash of momentum versus experience. Firth Park Warriors, the most consistent side of the past five years, met a Darnall team hungry for their first taste of silverware. Darnall batted first, set a formidable total, and their triple left-arm pace trio — Jawad Akhtar, Hamzah Younis and Danish Choudhry — blew away the Warriors in style, sealing a 70-run statement win that echoed through the hall.
“Pagehall gave us a very hard fight in the semi-finals but we came through it. I just told my boys to bat first — Naz and Hamzah set the platform brilliantly. When we bowled, it’s very hard to face three left-armers. You have to deal with me, Hamzah Younis and Danish Choudhry — it’s not very nice is it…?”
“Our batting just didn’t click today. We lost a few early wickets, and once that happened it went out of our hands. There’s always pressure in a final — I was confident we could chase it, but their bowling attack was really good.”
The Cup brought Sheffield its first ever pathway into the Yorkshire Indoor Finals Day, uniting four cities under one competition. Darnall Dynamites will fly the flag for Sheffield in Bradford — a testament to how community cricket projects funded through Yorkshire Cricket Foundation are linking grassroots players to county-level visibility.
The journey continues: new areas, new teams, and a Sheffield side ready to make its mark beyond the city.
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