Mini Bash League 2022 — Longley Legends Lift First Title

Why MBL? To keep young players active and connected every week. Running alongside the Friday BBICL, the Mini Bash League gave developing cricketers their own stage on Monday nights from 31 Oct to 5 Dec 2022. It was back to where our indoor story began — the Yorkshire Muslim Academy (YMA) sports hall — with windball, 12 overs a side, and a community vibe that felt like home.

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The format was simple: double round-robin and the top two into the final. Four new area teams — Tinsley Scorpions, Shiregreen Sharks, Ecclesfield Eagles, Longley Legends — brought new faces and fresh rivalries. On Finals Day, Longley Legends held their nerve to win the title over Ecclesfield Eagles.

Event Snapshot — MBL 2022

Venue:

Yorkshire Muslim Academy (YMA), Sheffield

Dates:

Mon 31 Oct – Mon 5 Dec 2022 (evenings)

Format:

Indoor windball · Double round-robin → Top 2 Final (12 overs)

Teams & Captains:

Tinsley Scorpions · Shiregreen Sharks · Ecclesfield Eagles · Longley Legends

Results:

🏆 Longley Legends beat Ecclesfield Eagles in the final

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Highlights — What Mattered Most

A league built for youth.

Squads were 7-a-side with up to two players aged 21+ (not from BBICL 2022), the rest U20 — a pilot that mixed guidance with game time. It worked: competitive matches, shared learning, and visible growth week to week.

Back to our roots.

YMA’s lower ceiling meant fewer sixes to the back wall and a premium on placement and running; games were tight and tactical, perfect for skill-building.

Tech on test.

We trialled live on-screen scoring via CricClubs early on. Graphics looked great, but video quality fell short, so we switched to standard recording. Live scoring on CricClubs remained rock-solid throughout.

A positive pilot, clear next steps.

To increase scoring and space, future editions may go 6-a-side at YMA or move to a larger venue; longer-term, scale this into a city-wide U21 league.

The Mini Bash League was born from demand: plenty of lads weren’t getting regular minutes in the men’s BBICL, so Mondays became theirs. The 7-a-side pilot (max two 21+ non-BBICL players) gave each team a bit of experience without crowding out youth. It was fun, competitive and instructive — exactly what it needed to be.

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We also experimented. Early rounds featured a CricClubs live overlay on the stream; while visuals impressed, we prioritised clarity and switched to normal recording, keeping the trusted CricClubs app for live scoring, fixtures and stats dashboards. The feedback loop from players, coaches and commentators will refine things again next season.

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YMA’s dimensions shaped the cricket. Across the league we logged 1,904 runs off 1,800 balls — evidence of tight contests, busy running and value on strike rotation compared to BBICL’s bigger-hall fireworks. Next year, either 6-a-side at YMA or a bigger venue should lift scoring while keeping the developmental core.

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Stand Out Performers

Award

Player

Team

Numbers

Batting Award

Yahya Ahmed

Longley Legends

128 runs (HS 31)

Bowling Award

Rehan Mir

Tinsley Scorpions

League-best 11 wickets, SR 8.2

MVP

Rehan Mir

Tinsley Scorpions

Best 3/12, Economy 3.93

MBL ’22 Full stats on CricClubs →

Voices from Finals Night

“Some of you play hardball outdoors in summer; for others this was your first cricket ever — it’s good to see that. Keep improving yourselves. We want to provide the platform all year round, and we plan to do this every year.”

— Muhammad Azahat

Cricket Arena Presenter

“I had confidence in my team. It’s our first season, some lads hadn’t played windball before — we got used to it and enjoyed it. There was pressure. The other team were best on the day so well done to them and to my boys. My bowlers weren’t at their potential today but they gave it their 100%, and that’s what I’m happy about.”

— Zain Attique

Captain, Ecclesfield Eagles

“I feel very good. Yes, we collapsed in some games with the bat, but I know I can rely on our bowling attack. It was a headache picking a team each week with so many good players. Overall, I’m satisfied with my team’s performance.”

— Munazam Hussain

Winning Captain, Longley Legends

Impact / What’s Next?

58 players featured in MBL; 124 took part in BBICL — a winter that kept the hall busy and the pathway clear. Next up is Sheffield Cup 2023, with winners advancing to the Yorkshire Indoor Finals Day. The brief from the players is simple: more Mondays, more minutes, more mates.