ILLINGWORTH St. MARY’S CRICKET CLUB is situated at the end of Alloe Field View in the north of Halifax. It has three sides for adults (Saturday’s 1st & 2nd XIs play in the Airedale & Wharfedale League, the 3rd XI in the Halifax Sunday League). A thriving junior section has under 17, 15, 13 and 11 sides for both girls / boys under the enthusiastic and sensitive guidance of many ECB qualified coaches who have been Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checked and First Aid trained.

The Club was one of the first in Yorkshire to be ECB / Sport England ClubMark accredited which confirms the child friendly junior coaching available at the Club. It has since been identified by the England & Wales Cricket Board as a ‘Focus Club’ for high quality junior cricket provision and development. The Cricket Foundation has selected the Club’s Coaches to deliver the prestigious “Chance to Shine” Scheme in local schools – only 1 of 300 Clubs in the UK to do so in 2006 and again in 2007.

The Club celebrated its centenary in 1985 and has begun to plan the 125th anniversary celebrations. Since its foundation, Tom Emmett and Gary Fellows have been the most successful and famous members. Emmett was an illustrious member of the England side that played in the first ever Test Match – against Australia in 1876.

In present modern day cricket, Fellows was a member of the Yorkshire County Championship Winning side in 2001 and also a C&G Trophy winner at Lords Cricket ground in 2002.

Since 1989, the Club has attracted an overseas player for most seasons. The Club have been fortunate to acquire talented and respected players from Australia and New Zealand. Roger Bradley came from New Zealand before settling in the Netherlands where he became an influential international player. Australian Stuart Law played at Illingworth in 1990 before playing Test cricket and a World Cup Final followed by an illustrious career with Queensland, Essex and Lancashire. Mark Walsh from the Perth Club, Willeton, followed before returning to play professionally with Western Australia.

The Pavilion was built in 1960 and has all modern facilities and amenities. It is often hired for social functions which take advantage of a bar. The ground, practice and playing facilities are some of the best in Calderdale. They are often used by local schools for Tournaments and representative fixtures. The Club regularly holds coaching courses run in conjunction with The Yorkshire Cricket Board and England & Wales Cricket Board.

The Club’s junior players are often used to demonstrate cricket initiatives at Headingley Test matches, county matches and national finals. To celebrate ‘Yorkshire Day’ a small group of junior members organised and demonstrated Kwik Cricket at Eureka!, the National Children’s Museum, in Halifax.
The small but caring, welcoming Club membership ensures a memorable visit out – irrespective of the weather.