Yorkshire and Lancashire set for '˜Roses' clash - but not as you know it

But an upcoming clash, set to take place in Mirfield, will have a lighter feel about it.

The ‘Love of the Roses’ game will be staged later this month and will see inter-faith teams comprising of vicars and imams come together from both sides of the Pennines.

The sides will meet at Mirfield’s Community of the Resurrection on Saturday, September 17.

The game will be played under the Twenty20 format.

Farook Yunus, project manager at the Batley and Dewsbury youth group Kumon Y’all, is part of the project team and it follows on a successful event last year where imams faced priests in a similar match.

He said: “This year we have our own ‘War of the Roses’ except we are crossing out the word war and replacing it with the word love.

“We are confident it has the potential to be bigger and better than last year.

“We want to show the world that you can hold different beliefs, different looks and different backgrounds and still have more in common.

“It really is as simple as that.”

Amongst those signed up to be a part of the White Rose team is Batley, Purlwell and Hanging Heaton priest Reverend Mark Umpleby and Cleckheaton Vicar, the Reverend Brunel James.

Mark represented the vicars X1 last year.

He said: “By playing side-by-side with different faith leaders, it shows what the whole event is about.

“It’s about growing friendships and understanding one another more.

“In today’s world, that is a great thing for us all to be doing.”

The event is being supported by the Yorkshire Cricket Foundation (YCF).

There will be a day of fun planned, as well as the cricket, including free food and drinks for spectators as well as entertainment for children, including archery and bouncy castles.

Taj Butt is the Community Development Officer at YCF.

He says it was important for the county club to back the project.

“Last year was just a local event,” he said.

“But this time around with it being Yorkshire versus Lancashire, we thought it was really important to get involved.

“Not only is it a good advert for the game but it brings together different communities.

“That’s what cricket is all about.

“We are really pleased to be involved with something like this.”