From Hoylandswaine’s record-breaking 592 to Dilanka reaching 100 wickets and the ECB dropping a bombshell on overseas pros, it was a week where club cricket hit the headlines for every reason imaginable.
Hoylandswaine’s 592: A Game for the Ages
Every now and then, a scoreline makes you double-take. Hoylandswaine’s 592 for 4 against Honley in the Huddersfield League was one of those. Luke Bridges cracked 210, Ben Kohler-Cadmore hammered 204, and Samit Patel produced perhaps the most outrageous cameo of the summer: 145 off 54 balls, striking at 268. Between them, they sent balls into orbit, lost a few in the hedgerows, and left Honley’s bowlers staring at the scoreboard in disbelief.
Honley deserve credit for replying with 369. Timmy Taylor’s century meant it was no walkover, but still — chasing almost 600 was never realistic. In total, 961 runs were scored in the match, the highest combined 50-over tally we can find in UK Premier League cricket. Records fell. Bowlers wept. Social media went berserk.
Other Run Machines
While Hoylandswaine grabbed the headlines, runs flowed everywhere. Will Evans hit 161 for St Asaph in North Wales, George Hawbrook smashed 135 for Stone in the North Staffs & South Cheshire, and Archie Harrison posted 134* for Radlett. Elsewhere, Zac Tribe (Ashmanaugh & Barton Wanderers), James Seward (Potters Bar), & Rhys Lewis (Wargrave)all added big knocks to the weekend’s tally. Ximus Du Plooy (Ockbrook & Borrowash) crowned Derbyshire champions with 111, while Daniel Blatherwick’s 119 for Hucknall reminded Kimberley Institute that he still belongs in the big games.
Even below the 100 mark, Daniel Abraham’s 93 off 33 for Preston Nomads (SR 281) was eye-watering.
Bowling Brilliance
Amid the run-feast, the bowlers refused to be forgotten. Dilanka Auwardt , the Sri Lankan at Ainsdale, reached 99 total wickets for the season with another five-for — an achievement that might never be matched in the top divisions. His average is a ridiculous 10.07, and the wickets keep coming.
Mayank Mishra at Cleethorpes is on 72 wickets, with five five-fers and an economy under 3, bowling them to the Yorkshire South title. Walter Kinlock (Spalding) and John Dotters (Rainford) both claimed 8-fers, while Akhil 7 for 34 for Shepley showed that spinners can still dominate on flat September decks. There were six-fers across the country — Jon Denning, Adnan Ghaus, Ash Shaw, Brett Pelser & Tom Davis — proof that bowlers weren’t entirely swept aside.
Title Races & Champions
Several leagues wrapped up. Colchester & East Essex sealed the Essex title by routing Wanstead for 80, Smethwick won back to back titles in Birmingham, Sawston & Babraham defended their crown in East Anglia, and Kendal did enough to clinch the Northern Premier despite back to back defeats. In Surrey, Wimbledon flattened Spencer to clinch their league on the final day.
Elsewhere, the Liverpool District title is going to the wire, Ormskirk and Northern locked in a final-weekend showdown. The GMCL remains tight between Roe Green and Prestwich, and Yorkshire’s multiple Premier Leagues still have twists left. And in Bradford, New Farnley are unbeaten, chasing perfection after already breaking the points record.
Check out all the 2025 Premier League Leading Run Scorers HERE
Rule Change Chaos
Off the field, the ECB dropped a grenade. The eligibility rule for overseas professionals has shifted from three years to two, applied immediately. That means many players who no longer play first-class cricket — but who’ve lit up Premier Leagues in recent years — suddenly don’t qualify. Clubs scrambled as contracts unravelled, agents panicked, and players who’d planned 2026 seasons in England were left in limbo.
Plenty are calling for common sense: a delayed introduction (say from 2027) would have allowed smoother transitions. Instead, chaos rules, and winter recruitment has started earlier than ever.
Farewells & Firsts
It was also a week for milestones and goodbyes. Teddy Casterton, once a Wisden Young Cricketer of the Year, bowed out at just 26. At the other end of the scale, Rory Hayden made his first-class debut for Derbyshire at Lord’s — not a bad stage for a breakthrough whilst Wayne Madsen quietly marked his 500th match for Derbyshire, a number scarcely believable in modern cricket.
Looking Ahead
One weekend remains for most. Can Hoylandswaine go bigger? Will Dilanka push to 100 wickets? Can New Farnley finish unbeaten? And will Ormskirk or Northern take the Liverpool crown?
Club cricket in September has its flaws — rain, odd points systems, disappearing pros — but it never lacks stories, and we’re braced for one last burst of drama to close the 2025 season.
You can follow all the ECB National Club Championship fixtures & results HERE
