Cricket: Elland pushing for Roy Dexter to be given green light for Sykes Cup

May 30 2009 By Mel Booth

"The League have obviously picked a replacement for their team, and as a professional, Roy should be able to play for either Notts or ourselves."

League general secretary Hedley Dawson confirmed that an emergency management committee meeting had been called.

Thongsbridge’s start to the season might not have been as convincing as Elland’s – they were fifth in a Section B table topped by Huddersfield – but Sharkey was in fine fettle.

The 33-year-old Lancastrian left hander had thumped 241 runs, and was confident he could follow in the footsteps of Allan Greaves (1974) and John Shaw (1971 and 73), who had both reached four figures for a campaign while playing for the Holme Valley club.

Sharkey, who had previously played Huddersfield League cricket for Holmfirth and Paddock, said: "I’m not being complacent, but I feel in fine form and the Thongsbridge wicket is beautiful to bat on."

Topping 1,000 was pretty rare, because since the introduction of limited overs in 1956, only one other player, Jeff Senior, had done it.

That was in 1972 and 73 with Lockwood, who had since fallen on hard times.

However secretary Graham Tindall believed the recruitment of Huddersfield’s Joe Lumb team captain Michael Holden from Meltham would spark a climb up the Section B standings.

"We have other bright youngsters in Richard Hallas and Stephen Tinsley, and we are bowling teams out," he said.

"If we can start getting runs, we’ll be okay."