Building on the success of MBL 2023, this year’s MBL 2024 kept Friday night cricket alive at Concord Sports Centre — and made it more accessible than ever. Funded by the South Yorkshire Violence Reduction Unit, match fees stayed low, kit was shared and no one was turned away because of cost. The result: 83 young people, aged 13 to 21, choosing quick cricket and real friendships over bored evenings and risky street corners.

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Six area-based teams carried the flag for their neighbourhoods: Pitsmoor, Sharrow, Burngreave, Tinsley, Shiregreen and, for the first time, Rotherham. Captains became organisers, mentors and motivators — pulling squads together, solving transport and coordinating kits. For Rotherham Strikers, crossing the city boundary turned the league into a genuine regional contest, showing how far indoor windball can stretch community connections.

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For Pitsmoor Avengers, MBL 2024 was personal. In 2023, their campaign was hit by a points deduction after an over-age eligibility issue, ending their semi-final hopes just as form peaked. This year, with the age cap raised to 21 and rules crystal-clear, skipper Mobeen Ilyas was back on court. Fresh from lifting the Youth Hundred 2024 under shared management with Zayn Wasim, Pitsmoor arrived at Concord determined to turn heartbreak into silverware.

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The cricket itself was anything but gentle. Using a soft, rubber windball and playing without pads or helmets kept the game fast, simple and welcoming, but the skills on show were serious: swinging new-ball spells, sharp-turning leg-spin, diving stops on the wooden floor and towering straight sixes. Across 33 matches, the league racked up 7,030 runs, 334 sixes and 355 wickets — proof that young players will raise the standard when you give them a proper stage.

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Burngreave Tigers set the early tone with a brutal statement win: 178/2 against Tinsley Thunder, a 99-run victory featuring 11 sixes and a stunning 53* from 17 balls by Fasih Khan. At the other end of the spectrum, newcomers Rotherham Strikers were bowled out for 33/7 by the same Tigers in week one, a 124-run defeat that felt like a “welcome to MBL” message. Both results summed up the league: ruthless on the scoreboard, but with plenty of time afterwards for learning, encouragement and a reset.

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Finals Night was everything the season had promised. League leaders Pitsmoor Avengers met second-placed Sharrow Stars in a fitting showpiece. Bowling first, Pitsmoor leaned on their Rehan double act: Rehan Ahmed’s three-wicket burst with the swinging new ball and miserly support from Rehan Khan, who went at just 3.67 an over, dragged the scoring rate back and held Sharrow to 115/6 from 12 overs.

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Chasing under the pressure of a final can rattle even experienced players, but Pitsmoor’s top order stayed calm. After an early wobble, brothers Zayan and Rehan Khan took control, rotating the strike, punishing anything loose and refusing to panic. Zayan’s 27* off 14 and Rehan’s 25* off 22 carried the Avengers home in 10.4 overs, sparking a purple huddle in the middle and a second major trophy of 2024 for the area after their Youth Hundred triumph.

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Individual stories ran right through the stats. Burngreave star Fasih Khan took home MVP and the Batting Award with 256 runs at an average of 43, a ridiculous strike rate of 246.15 and 27 sixes. Pitsmoor’s all-round engine, Rehan Khan, added 210 runs and 14 wickets plus four Player of the Match awards. With the ball, Burngreave’s Mansoor Shinwari led the way: 17 wickets, best figures of 5-9 and an economy of just 3.92 across the campaign.

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Off the ball, the league showed what disciplined indoor cricket can look like. Umpire Haidar Rasool summed it up: 

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“They’re learning how to play cricket the right way – no issues with discipline this year. If you’re under 21, get yourselves in; this cricket is going to be the future of winter sport with all these kids looking forward to it.” 

Under the Concord roof, you could see exactly what he meant — respect for decisions, competitive fire and a hall full of noise, but no trouble.

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MBL 2024 also sat in a bigger pathway. Many players had first stepped up through Cricket Arena’s leagues and tournaments, from last season’s MBL 2023 (backed by National Express) to this summer’s Youth Hundred 2024. The message was clear: if you’re willing to commit on Friday nights, there will always be a next competition, a new role or a bigger stage waiting.