The Sykes Cup is the most famous knockout competition in Huddersfield cricket.
It was founded in 1920. Sir Charles Sykes (1868-1950) was a politician and wool merchant; he was elected to parliament as Coalition Liberal member for Huddersfield, but lost the seat in 1922.

Sykes was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in 1918 and created a Baronet in the 1921 Birthday Honours, both for his war services. He donated the Sykes Cup to the Huddersfield & District League in 1920 (and later donated the Lady Sykes Candlesticks to the league in memory of his late wife in 1945).

The inaugural Sykes Cup competition took place in 1920. The first winners were Saddleworth side Friarmere – in 1920 they beat Almondbury in the final and in 1921 Huddersfield. In the period before 1945 the competition was dominated by Huddersfield (who won it five times), Broad Oak and Frairmere (three each), Elland and Paddock (twice).

Interestingly, the Sykes Cup continued throughout the war with Lascelles Hall, Elland, Kirkheaton, Holmfirth, Linthwaite and Slaithwaite (twice) taking the honours in the period 1939-45. In the post-war era the trophy has been shared round a bit more with ‘rural’ clubs such as Holmfirth, Meltham, Kirkburton and Honley beginning to challenge the old ‘urban’ clubs.

1920  Friarmere bt Almondbury   Report

1921  Friarmere bt Huddersfield   Report

1922  Huddersfield bt Slaithwaite   Report   Trophy

1923  Paddock bt Huddersfield   Report 1   Report 2

1924  Slaithwaite bt   Report   Photo   Dinner   Scorecard

1925  Huddersfield bt Friarmere   Report

1926  Kirkheaton bt Elland   Reports   Photo

1927  Friarmere bt Rastrick   Report

1928  Huddersfield bt Broad Oak   Report

1929  Holmfirth bt Huddersfield   Report   Photo

1930  Broad Oak bt Bradley Mills   Report & Photos  

1931  Broad Oak bt Meltham    Reports   Report   Report, Scorecard & Photos

1932  Huddersfield bt Thongsbridge   Report

1933  Meltham Mills bt Slaithwaite   Report

1934  Broad Oak bt Kirkburton   Reports & Photo  

1935  Elland bt Huddersfield   Report   Scorebook   Scorebook   Photo  

1936  Huddersfield bt LInthwaite   Report

1937  Paddock bt Linthwaite   Reports   Photo 1   Photo 2

1938  Elland bt Honley   Reports   Photo 1   Photo 2

1939  Lascelles Hall bt Golcar   Reports   Photo

1940  Elland bt Slaithwaite   Report

1941  Holmfirth bt Elland   Report

1942  Linthwaite bt Thongsbridge   Report

1943  Slaithwaite bt Elland   Report

1944  Slaithwaite bt Broad Oak   Reports   Photo

1945  Kirkheaton bt Huddersfield   Report   Scorebook   Photo 

1946  Slaithwaite bt Elland   Reports

1947  Paddock bt Lascelles Hall   Report & Photo   Photos   Photo

1948  Meltham bt Lascelles Hall   Report   Programme   Photo

1949  Huddersfield bt Honley   Report   Photo

1950  Elland bt Linthwaite   Photo 1   Photo 2

1951  Rastrick bt Elland   Report   Photo   Bat

1952  Huddersfield bt Honley   Reports   Photo 1   Photo 2   Photo 3

1953  Elland bt Boad Oak   Reports   Photo & Scorebook

1954  Elland bt Slaithwaite   Reports

1955  Lockwood bt Lascelles Hall   Report   Photos   Dinner

1956  Linthwaite bt   Photo

1957  Broad Oak bt Thongsbridge   Report   Photo

1958  Huddersfield bt

1959  Meltham bt Lockwood   Report   Scorecard   Photo

1960  Thongsbridge bt Holmfirth   Photo 1  Photo 2   Photo 3  Photo 4  Photo 5  Photo 6

1961  Lascelles Hall bt Armitage Bridge   Photo 1   Photo 2

1962  Almondbury bt Paddock   Report, Scorecard & Photos   Photo  

1963  Paddock bt Golcar   Reports

1964  Kirkburton bt Honley   Photo 1   Photo 2

1965  Meltham bt Hall Bower   Reports

1966  Lascelles Hall bt Kirkburton   Reports   Programme & Photo

1967  Paddock bt Holmfirth   Report

1968  Paddock bt Elland   Report   Photos   Photo

1969  Holmfirth bt   Photo

1970  Holmfirth bt Elland   Report

1971  Elland bt Hall Bower   Report

1972  Hall Bower bt Honley   Report   Photo 1   Photo 2   Photo 3    Photo 4

1973  Kirkheaton bt  Lockwood   Report   Photos

1974  Kirkheaton bt Honley   Report   Photo

1975  Holmfirth bt   Photo

1976  Holmfirth bt Elland   Report   Photo   Photo

1977  Holmfirth bt Elland   Report   Photo

1978  Broad Oak bt Shepley   Report   Photo 1   Photo 2

1979  Elland bt   Photo

1980  Holmfirth bt Marsden   Report   Preview 1   Preview 2   Photo 1   Photo 2

1981  Elland bt Holmfirth   Report & Photo

1982  Honley bt Primrose Hill   Report   Photo

1983  Elland bt Honley   Report

1984  Elland bt Lascelles Hall   Report

1985  Broad Oak bt Honley   Report   

1986  Kirkburton bt Lascelles Hall   Report   Programme

1987  Lascelles Hall bt Elland   Report   Photo & Programme

1988  Holmfirth bt Lascelles Hall   Report   Preview

1989  Elland bt

1990  Skelmanthorpe bt Slaithwaite   Report   Photos

1991  Slaithwaite bt   Photo

1992  Meltham bt   Photo

1993  Meltham bt

1994  Meltham bt   Photo

1995  Meltham bt   Photo

1996  Scholes bt Elland   Report   Photo 1    Photo 2    Photo 3

1997  Meltham bt Thongsbridge   Report

1998  Elland bt Hall Bower   Scorebook

1999  Slaithwaite bt

2000  Kirkburton bt

2001  Kirkburton bt Lascelles Hall   Report   Photos   Photo

2002  Elland bt   Photo

2003  Kirkburton bt Skelmanthorpe   Report   Photos

2004  Lascelles Hall bt Kirkheaton   Report   Photo

2005  Honley bt Delph & Dobcross   Report & Photo

2006  Honley bt

2007  Skelmanthorpe bt   Photos

2008  Barkisland bt Delph & Dobcross

SYKES CUP WINS
14 Elland
9 Holmfirth
8 Huddersfield, Meltham
6 Broad Oak, Paddock, Slaithwaite
5 Kirkburton, Lascelles Hall
4 Kirkheaton
3 Friarmere, Honley
2 Linthwaite, Skelmanthorpe
1 Almondbury, Barkisland, Hall Bower, Lockwood, Meltham Mills, Rastrick, Scholes, Thongsbridge