Beyond Borders and Bails – Cricket for #RefugeeWeek25
2 July 2025
Refugee Week 2025 swung into gear on Sunday 15th June with a Refugee Week T15 cricket tournament held at Sowerby Bridge St Peter’s Cricket Club.
Remembering Julian
In a contrast to last year’s weather, it was a beautiful day with lots of sunshine as St Augustine’s Cricket Team went up against Hebden Bridge CC and Little Valley CC as the teams battled it out for the Julian Beckwith Memorial Trophy.
Julian was a much-loved volunteer at St Augustine’s for many years, helping hundreds-if not thousands-of people during his time volunteering with us. Julian was a keen cricket fan and was a former player for Hebden Bridge CC. We sadly lost Julian earlier on this year and I am sure he would have enjoyed the day!
On the Field
Hebden Bridge and Little Valley kicked off the tournament, with Little Valley coming out on top. St Augustine’s then entered the stage against Hebden Bridge and despite a dodgy batting start, took control and put on a competitive score for Hebden Bridge to chase. The St Augustine’s bowlers must have had a good breakfast as they came out lightning fast and took some early wickets. Hebden Bridge rallied in their middle order, but St Augustine’s came out on top leaving a mouth-watering final as Little Valley were the opponents.
The St Augustine’s team included players from Afghan, Pakistani, Indian, Kurdish and El Salvadorian centre members! There was probably no more diverse team playing cricket that day in the entire country!
A Battle for the Trophy
Farman, captain of St Augustine’s cricket team won the toss and elected to bat first. A fantastic batting performance from the likes of Ahmadzia, Farman, Sayed and Ajmal meant Little Valley needed 129 runs to win. Little Valley put up a big fight and just came up short as St Augustine’s brought the trophy home.
It was a fantastic day and was another example that Calderdale truly is a valley that welcomes those seeking sanctuary and safety in our communities. Many languages took the field during the day but it was cricket which was centre stage and is further proof that sport unites.
Thanks to Our Supporters and Partners
There are many thank yous to those that made the day happen. First, a big thank you to Gordan Akroyd and Sowerby Bridge St Peter’s Cricket Club for opening their doors and hosting the match. Thank you to both Hebden Bridge CC and Little Valley CC for playing, providing friendship and lunch to the St Augustine’s players. Thank you to Mike who umpired all three games in the summer heat and thank you to all spectators who came and cheered all of the players on. Also, thank you to Cricket Asylum for their continued partnership work with us and thank you to Sports England and Active Calderdale for funding our sports programme here at St Augustine’s.
It was a truly special day and a day that will hopefully become an annual event.
Got cricket gear you no longer need? The Cricket Asylum’s Foundation’s Kit Library is an initiative which aims to support players in the community starting out at Cricket and those struggling to afford to replace old kit. New players and players with restricted financial support can access good quality used or new cricket equipment such as bat, pads and gloves.
Whether you can give or need, this initiative supports everyone. If you have any good-condition gear to donate or want to access equipment for yourself or someone you know, visit the link below.
This blog was written by Adrian, Head of Activities.