Four cities, one trophy.

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Across July and early August, community organisers in each Yorkshire core city ran their own Junior Hundred tournaments — the same rules, the same spirit, the same goal: give 12–15‑year‑olds a proper stage to play, learn and love cricket. The winners earned a ticket to Park Avenue, Bradford for a county‑wide Finals Day.

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This was the first time Yorkshire hosted an indoor‑style “Hundred” showcase just for juniors, and it felt special from the first whistle. Every player pulled on a free Northern Superchargers shirt; families filled the balcony; cameras were out; and, before the action, a Women’s Hundred player sat down with the kids for a quick Q&A about life as a pro. Those five minutes did the job — shoulders relaxed, smiles widened, and the cricket took care of itself.

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On court, the format did what it’s designed to do: fast games, lots of touches, meaningful roles for everyone. With 8‑a‑side teams and soft‑ball rules, new cricketers could have a go without fear while the more experienced players still had room to express themselves. Balls fizzed to the boundary, close catches brought teammates sprinting in, and every run was cheered like it mattered — because it did, to the kids playing.

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A Yorkshire pathway, built together.

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The Finals Day capped a month of collaboration between city leads — Hamzah Hussain (Sheffield), Sohail Raz (Leeds), Zain‑ul‑Abdin (Bradford) and Soyeb Kayat (Kirklees) — who co‑ordinated calendars, shared resources and kept the rules aligned so that teams arrived ready to go. The message to young people was simple: your local tournament is step one; there’s a county stage to aim for.

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Sheffield’s Burngreave Tigers finish on top.

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When it mattered, the Tigers found their gears, soaking up pressure and delivering clean overs and busy running. They left Park Avenue with medals around their necks and a trophy that means more than silver — proof that a welcoming, competitive pathway for juniors is taking root across Yorkshire.

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Why it matters.

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For many players this was their first taste of a finals day: a chance to be part of a team, make friends from other neighbourhoods, and feel the buzz of performing in front of a crowd. That’s the point. The Junior Hundred is as much about belonging as it is about winning — creating memories, role models and habits that keep kids in the game for years to come.

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Thank you.

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To the volunteers, umpires and city organisers; to families who gave up their evening; to the Northern Superchargers for backing the vision; and, most of all, to the juniors who played with courage and joy. Same again next year.