A day of cricket, community and collaboration. The Yorkshire Indoor Finals 2022 gathered city winners from Bradford, Kirklees, Leeds and Sheffield under the Yorkshire Cricket Foundation (ECB Core Cities) umbrella — one shared hall, one shared purpose. The pace was furious, the crowd loud, and by the close Sheffield Dynamites had written the opening chapter of a new indoor tradition.
Leeds Gladiators 66 all out (10.2/12) lost to Bradford Swat 67/2 (8.5/12) — Bradford won by 4 wickets.
Leeds’ top score was Parth Naik 24. Adal Islam and Salman Sayed shared four wickets for Bradford, and Alam Shah (27 retired)* steered a calm chase with three overs to spare.
Sheffield Dynamites 85/6 (11.1/12) beat Kirklees Super 6s 56/6 (9.1/12) — Sheffield won by 29 runs.
Captain Jawad Akhtar 36 (25) held the innings together as wickets fell around him, stretching the total into the last over. A youthful Kirklees side (many U18, new to windball) showed promise, but Hamzah Younis’ double strike deflated the reply.
Sheffield set the tone from the start: twin retirements from Nazakat Ali and Arslan Tariq, Jawad Akhtar anchoring the middle, and a sharp finish from Danish Choudhry to post a commanding total. Under scoreboard pressure, Bradford lost early wickets; Alam Shah resisted, but Shohaib Khaliq’s key strike broke the chase. Sheffield pulled away to win by 51, becoming the first name on the Yorkshire Indoor Cup.
“It was the same as last week… we just scraped the semi-finals, and somehow — I don’t know what happens — when we get into the final we become a brand-new team. It was a great tournament and thank you to the Yorkshire Cricket Foundation for doing it. I feel very happy that we’re the first ever team to win it.”
“It’s been a great day for cricket. Obviously we would have liked to lift the trophy, but well played to Sheffield’s team. Yorkshire have done a great job of arranging the tournament — Sohail, Zain and the team, well done, it’s been great fun. The venues and organisation have been excellent.”
This Finals Day was a pilot under the ECB Core Cities programme — a proof-of-concept that city-pride indoor cricket raises standards, builds fitness, and connects communities through winter. The ambition now is simple: make it annual. A clear end-of-season stage gives every local cup meaning — something to chase, something to celebrate, and a bigger platform for the players who light it up.
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