Sheffield Legacy Fund Powered Men’s Winter Indoor Leagues

This winter, Cricket Arena ran two men’s indoor competitions back-to-back — the Big Bash Indoor Cricket League (BBICL) from September to December, followed by the Sheffield Cup after Christmas — bringing teams from across the city together for organised, competitive windball cricket in Sheffield.

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Across the season, 162 players took part (87 in BBICL and 75 in the Cup). As one combined project, the numbers tell the story: 11,692 runs, 522 wickets, and 778 sixes hit between September and the final trophy lift.

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Why windball works (and why support matters)

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A big reason we could keep the leagues accessible was the windball format and the support behind it. Because windball uses a softer ball, players don’t need expensive pads and specialist kit to enjoy the same exciting, high-intensity cricket — all in a focused one-hour match each week through winter.

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We still provide shared Cricket Arena bats, windballs and stumps to keep “turn up and play” simple. And while participant fees cover only part of the running costs, the Sheffield Legacy Fund support via Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park made this season possible — helping us deliver quality venues, properly run match nights, and a great experience for everyone.

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Powered by the Sheffield Legacy Fund

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This season was made possible with support through the Sheffield Legacy Fund, helping grassroots groups near Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park deliver activity that supports health, wellbeing and connection.

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It was also a pleasure to welcome Claire Fretwell from Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park to one of our BBICL nights at EIS in November — seeing the league in full flow, meeting players, and capturing photos with the trophy as the season built towards finals.

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Young players alongside local heroes

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One of the best parts of this winter was the mix of ages in the same squads. We had lots of young players aged 15–21 playing alongside experienced local names — players they’ve watched in the community for years.

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Between overs and after games, advice was being shared constantly: batting options under pressure, how to set fields indoors, and how to plan bowling at the death. Just as importantly, it created real networking — young players being introduced to new groups and new clubs, swapping contacts, and opening routes into summer cricket through the connections made on these winter nights.

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BBICL Final: Longley Legends win with one wicket left

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BBICL ended with a new name on the trophy. Longley Legends beat Firth Park Warriors in a rescheduled final (delayed by venue issues and completed in January at EIS).

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The game went right to the wire. Longley got home with one wicket remaining, with Ibrahim Safi staying calm late in the chase and finishing not out.

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Full scorecard:
BBICL Final – (CricClubs)

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Sheffield Cup Final: Firth Park Warriors lift the Cup

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After Christmas, the Sheffield Cup kept momentum going, with six teams chasing a second trophy.

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The final brought together the top two ranked sides: Firth Park Warriors vs City Sixers. Warriors handled the final-day pressure better and won by 21 runs, led by Cricket Arena stalwart Muhammad Adnan. City Sixers, captained by 20-year-old Shabaz Qadir, had a young side that fought hard throughout the competition and finished as deserving runners-up.

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Full scorecard:
Sheffield Cup Final – (CricClubs)

Outdoor season is around the corner, and many of this winter’s players will now link back into summer teams and local clubs — with younger players taking contacts, confidence and advice from the league into their next step. If you’re looking to get involved, explore our Programmes to find the right pathway for you, or reach out via our Contact page and we’ll help point you in the right direction.

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This winter also showed what’s possible when the community and local support come together. Player fees cover only part of what it costs to run high-quality league nights — so if you’re a local business or organisation that wants to back accessible community sport in Sheffield, we’d love to explore partnership opportunities that help keep these leagues going and growing.