Club match in progress, Barnsley Shaw Lane 2006
Photo by Steve Draper

Be sure to check the latest entry in Steve Draper's much-praised Grounds Guide series. This time he is off to Barnsley and Shaw Lane. Link to Ground Guide #10

Be sure to post your comments and reminiscences in this thread.

NEXT: Castleford

I only ever made one visit to Shaw Lane. It was to see Yorkshire play the Combined Universities in the old Benson and Hedges tournament - sometime in the mid-seventies I think.
We lost! Badly! There were lots of grumbles at the Sunday match at Fartown the following day and I don't think we ever played there again.
From what I remember we were well beaten by a vibrant and confident young side. We didn't score quite enough runs but I don't think anyone was too worried at the change of innings. I remember admiring the bowling of a young spinner called Vic Marks. In reply, the Universities made short work of us. We bowled badly and reacted unintelligently and angrily to being hit about. A young Sri Lankan called Pathmanathan batted with terrific verve and took a particular liking to Chris Old, who bowled too short. Chris Old did not take a reciprocal liking to the youngster!! Yorkshire heads went down far too early and we were, rightly, mocked by the press the following morning.
There was a big crowd and the ground was uncomfortable to be in.(Beer and toilets!!) It was unlovely and the atmosphere was, at times, rather charmless. Nevertheless it was great to be watching cricket in Barnsley, a town so quintessentially Yorkshire. We really ought to start looking at ways we might, occasionally, play games away from Leeds and Scarborough. Perhaps the proposed second 20/20 competition would provide some opportunities for this.

This is very apt as Yorkshire 2nd are at Shaw Lane this week. Tuesday is the 1 day game & there's a 3 day game starting on Wednesday

Barnsley's Shaw Lane stages Yorkshire 2nds matches this week. Tomorrow Tuesday) they face Glamorgan in a one-day 2nd XI Trophy clash and the two counties then start a three day 2nd XI Championship clash on Wednesday.

Both matches start at 11am.