The Junior Hundred is becoming a proper Sheffield summer habit. Since the first edition in 2022, the one-day tournament has returned each year to give 12–15-year-olds a real stage to play on – fast games, loud support and meaningful roles for everyone. Backed in 2025 by the MHCLG Windrush Grant, Near Neighbours and the Yorkshire Cricket Foundation, this year’s event again sat at the heart of Cricket Arena’s summer programme, mixing cricket, confidence and community at Shiregreen Cricket Club.
Six teams took part in the one-day event: Masjid Umar, Masjid Ghausia, Handsworth Cricket Club, Caribbean Sports Club, Shiregreen Lions and Sharrow Stars. Each side brought a coach or trusted adult to guide their team and link in with Cricket Arena’s organisers on the day. It was a true mosques-and-clubs mix – kids who usually play together on streets or in park nets suddenly sharing the same outfield, with Cricket Arena providing all bats, balls and equipment so they could just turn up in their own clothes and enjoy proper, organised soft-ball cricket.
The format stayed true to what makes the Junior Hundred work. Every game was 50 balls per innings, using a junior readers windball – no helmets or pads needed – so new players could join in without worrying about kit. Squads were 8-a-side with rolling subs to make sure as many young people as possible got a go across the day. In total we ran nine fixtures, with umpires scoring ball-by-ball on the CricClubs app so every run, wicket and dot ball was captured and shared. By stumps, the kids had racked up exactly 1,500 runs and 90 wickets between them – a full scorebook of memories.
Group A featured Masjid Umar, Shiregreen Lions and Sharrow Stars; Group B brought together Masjid Ghausia, Handsworth CC and Caribbean Sports Club. Each team played twice in their group, with two points for a win and net run rate used to separate sides level on points. The top two in each pool moved into the semi-finals, but crucially, nobody’s day ended early: while the knockouts took place on Pitch 1, a friendly between Masjid Umar and Masjid Ghausia on Pitch 2 kept every player involved and turned a potential “dead rubber” into a chance for inter-mosque unity.
The cricket itself was exactly what you want from junior hundred-ball games – big hits, sneaky singles, diving catches and loud celebrations for every wicket and boundary. With 58 players aged 12–15 on site, there was always something happening on one of the pitches. Parents and younger siblings lined the rope, while coaches and volunteers kept encouraging good behaviour and “playing the right way” alongside the competitive edge.
By the time we reached the final, two of the day’s stand-out sides remained: Shiregreen Lions and Sharrow Stars. Sharrow won the toss and put Shiregreen in to bat – a brave call in a pressure game. The Lions posted 76/4 from their 50 balls, setting up a nervy chase that swung back and forth as wickets and boundaries traded blows. Sharrow slipped to six down, but a composed innings from Player of the Match Albert Fisher, backed by smart running from his partners, saw the Stars home on 78/6 with four balls to spare. The celebrations were loud, but respectful – a proper advert for what junior sport can be.
Awards on the day recognised more than just the final. Shiregreen’s Qaesmatullah Abdi earned MVP after a superb all-round display, scoring 54 rapid runs (including six fours and four sixes) and returning remarkable figures of 2–2 with the ball. Caribbean Sports Club’s Isa Rasool took the Batting Award for his consistent 52 runs at a 100 strike-rate, including two retired not-out innings that anchored his team. The Bowling Award went to Sharrow Stars’ Seth Warrington, whose five wickets – with best figures of 2–5 and a bowling strike-rate of 7 – made a huge difference in the knockout stages.
None of this happens without people. Behind every over there were volunteers setting up pitches, updating scores, filming clips and keeping the day safe and welcoming. Huge thanks go to Jawad, Banaras, Hamzah, Zobair, Haseeb and Fasih, along with every team manager and parent who ran extra training sessions in the weeks before the tournament. Their work turned one summer Tuesday into a memory that these young players will carry for years – a day when they felt seen, trusted and part of something bigger than just their own club or mosque.
For Sharrow Stars, the journey now continues. Their win at Shiregreen means they will represent Sheffield at the Yorkshire Junior Hundred Finals Day at Park Avenue, Bradford, facing fellow city champions from Leeds, Kirklees and Bradford. Sheffield has previous success here: Burngreave Tigers lifted the Yorkshire title in 2022 and an earlier Sharrow Stars group did the same in 2023, as covered in our past articles. This year’s squad now has the chance to add a new chapter to that story.
And for everyone else – whether they bowled the first ball of the day or hit their very first boundary – Junior Hundred 2025 showed why this competition is now a core part of Cricket Arena’s year. It brings partners together, offers a safe and fun summer outlet, and opens up clear pathways into our wider programmes, from the Youth Hundred and indoor leagues to year-round youth sports clubs.
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