Cricket is vital in our communities, we cannot let it be stumped through a lack of access - Stephen Naylor

It is why we should take seriously the warnings about the future of the game we have recently heard and be resolute in the determination of making it a sport accessible to all, but I think we should also be confident that there is a strong future no matter who you are or where you’re from.

Let me try and explain why, because, as I am seemingly unable to say no to taking on voluntary roles, I am now on the committee of Lightcliffe Cricket Club, the club where my two boys play at U9, U11 and U13 level. This year, we are celebrating our 150th anniversary and, though a huge amount has changed in that time, we remain a place where all ages, all abilities and all comers can learn cricket and learn to love cricket.

It is not easy though - cricket clubs, as with so many sports clubs, are small businesses now with bars to staff, buildings to run and grounds to maintain. They remain largely run by people giving up a lot of time to keep everything working. It is a huge effort, but one we do because of what it gives to so many.

Lightcliffe is proud and lucky to be one of the largest clubs in the area with around 250 members, four senior teams and eleven junior teams featuring nearly 150 young cricketers.

We proudly give opportunities to all, an ethos focused on playing and developing those of all abilities to be the best they can be.

This is not to say we’re not competitive - we want to win, and we regularly do - just recently our Under 15s won the Yorkshire final of the ECB’s T20 Cup. But for our club, as it is for so many across Yorkshire, it’s about much more - developing a lifelong passion for sport, fostering teamwork and being part of something bigger than yourself.

Cricket clubs will only have a strong future, encouraging those who start with softball to progress to hardball, if their junior sections are not side projects but the heartbeat of the club. Not being able to afford pads, helmets or safety essentials should never be a barrier to continuing with cricket, so kit is passed on to the next generation, resources are shared, allowing the passion and progression to continue.

It is why Friday evenings at our Till Carr Lane home are something to behold and a demonstration of our community focus as a club. The entire outfield buzzes with activity: our U7 Minis are receiving expert coaching from our qualified team, supported by older junior players who are learning to lead and give back. Over in the grass nets, U13s work on seam movement and spin with focused energy, while the artificial nets are alive with U11s practising their skills alongside our overseas player Rajat Dey who gives his time and experience.

Meanwhile, the Clubhouse bar and kitchen serve a steady flow of teas, snacks, and something colder and stronger for the parents, grandparents and others enjoying the action from the sidelines.

It is a vibrant, welcoming scene that shows exactly what our cricket club, as with so many across Yorkshire and beyond, is and should be about - development, inclusivity and community. New families arriving for the first time quickly find themselves part of the fold. There’s always a sense of camaraderie, a feeling that every child, regardless of ability, has a place - and every family, a role to play.

All this focus on learning and fun translates to success on the pitch. Many of our current senior team are juniors who have played here for many, many years. And that, from the seniors of today, undoubtedly inspires the seniors of tomorrow.

These achievements reflect not just individual skill but the strength of the coaching programme, the commitment of our volunteers, and the positive environment our young players thrive in.

The next generation is not only being trained in the techniques of the game but is also being inspired to lead, to support each other, values which will be valuable in life well beyond cricket.

As Lightcliffe celebrates 150 years, and looks forward to 150 more, I invite everyone to join us one Friday summer’s evening to experience the sheer joy that cricket brings to dozens of young people. They won’t all go on to be tomorrow’s Joe Root or Harry Brook. They may decide the sport ultimately isn’t for them. But they’ve given it a go, we’ve given them the chance to try, and - for me - that is one of the reasons that cricket is, most definitely, not out.

Stephen Naylor is a committee member at Lightcliffe Cricket Club and a strategic communications specialist.