Sheffield Cricket Lovers' Society Year Book 2026

Pictures of the Cornwall tour, at St Neot, Pencarrow, Broadclyst, Teign Valley and St Stephen - courtesy of Annie Chave. With thanks to The Cricket Paper for permission to reproduce this article which was published on 10 August 2025. the game of the forgotten age-group. For the past two years my son has brought along a group of non-playing friends, mixed in with a couple who ‘haven’t picked up a bat since school’. These friends have been persuaded along, bought whites, taken up nets and debuted in our matches. During the games they haven’t just sat on the sidelines immersed in an overriding social-media reality, they’ve watched the games, joined in the banter and interacted with the younger children, including them in post-game cricket. The generations have bonded and they have become not only part of the cricket family, but fully-fledged tourists. These are twenty-plus-year-olds who would have been no more likely to watch a Test match than vote for Brexit. Now they are feeling the pull sufficiently to be definites for next year, some even determined to practise over the winter. As the young family returns to Germany, the girls may soon forget some of the people and the landmarks. The details may become blurry, but they will always remember cricket as something that is outdoor fun with family and friends. These are golden moments, and they can last a lifetime. As the years have passed, we are now the older generation, and the role that was first my parents’ has become ours. 29