Historic Cartworth Moor have resigned from the Drakes Huddersfield League – after just two seasons.

The Holme Valley club – founded in 1887 – don’t have enough players to fulfil fixtures for two teams this summer.

So they applied to the Drakes for immediate release, and their request has been granted so they can return to the Arrowselfdrive Central League with one team.

It means the Drakes League’s Cedar Court Conference fixtures have been re-written, with 12 clubs playing each other home and away on 22 Saturdays.

The Drakes will now have 38 clubs, with 14 in the Premiership and 12 each in the Jedi Sports Championship and Conference.

The Central League – who have recruited former Halifax League club Augustinians – are all set to have 29 teams in three divisions.

Drakes League general secretary Norman Clee explained: “We are obviously disappointed that Cartworth Moor have stayed in the league only two years, but we understand the difficulties they’ve gone through.

“As quite an isolated cricket club, continuing to attract enough players to run two teams is always a challenge and, without a flourishing junior infrastructure, it doesn’t help them supplement the senior set-up.

“They’ve tried very hard, but they just can’t get enough players for two senior teams for this coming season.”

Cartworth have lost their entire first team from last season, plus some other players, so it has meant a re-think.

Any Drakes League teams drawn against them in the All Rounder Sykes Cup, Fired Up Paddock Shield and Total Indoor Cricket Solutions T20 Shield will have walkovers.

That’s Lepton (Sykes Cup), Denby (Paddock Shield) and Almondbury (T20).

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