Paul Whiteley, the former secretary of the Yorkshire Champions Trophy and Drakes Huddersfield League, has been appointed as PR and Media Manager for the Foster’s Halifax Cricket League.

Now Sowerby Bridge based, the retired national accounts manager brings over 20 years of cricket administration experience to the new post, coupled with more than 30 years as a part-time radio and press reporter.

Whiteley explained: “After moving to Calderdale I spent last summer, simply for pleasure, quietly visiting numerous clubs in the league and was surprised at the excellent standards, particularly the grounds.

“A meeting last autumn with the league chairman, Anthony Briggs, highlighted that many of our views on the way forward for local cricket coincided.

“One distinct area of improvement for the Halifax League was to raise our profile across the whole of Yorkshire.

“The League is recognised by the YCB as one of the best-organised in the county, with the Calderdale Cricket Development Group also rating as one of the most pro-active.

“However it would be fair to say, as the most westerly, that it has been sleepily cut off from the area of mainstream leagues and, as a result, its substantial achievements have mostly only been recognised locally.”

The Halifax League has three Saturday divisions and a Sunday League.

Whiteley added: “As an example of these achievements, 43.3% of the league’s clubs (13 our of 30) have gained the hard-earned ECB Clubmark accreditation.

“In comparison the two nearest senior leagues, north and south of Halifax, have 46.1% (12/26) and only 8.1% (3/37) respectively.

“Additionally all clubs attend meetings of the development group that, amongst other areas, focuses on providing cricketing opportunities for junior, senior and women’s cricket, improving facilities and delivering coaching programmes across the local area.

Paul Whiteley of Halifax Cricket League.

“The high standard of its grounds may be a result, in part, of the league retaining its basic amateur status.

“A substantial amount of club revenues, hard-earned, are used to improve grounds rather than, as in some other leagues, paying excessive match fees to players with just basic skills. Another major plus for the league is the continued retention of its cricketers and match officials due to remaining faithful to the 45-overs per side match format.

“Social attitudes are constantly changing and the simple fact is that not many players and umpires in 2015 want to be leaving grounds as late as 8.30pm or even 9pm. That difference of 10 overs fewer per match, from the 50-overs format, gives a substantial time benefit.

“This allows those with other social commitments to honour them, keeping many partners happy and the younger players free to enjoy the majority of the evening. Not losing the latter to other activities is one of the league’s foremost targets.”

Whiteley says the Sunday cricket also provides a valuable outlet.

“With the main first and second eleven leagues being Saturday based, the separate Sunday section is also very popular,” he explained.

“Not only does this give the chance to introduce juniors on the periphery of Saturday teams to adult cricket, but it also allows seniors who do not wish to be committed to a

full weekend to choose a single ‘cricket day’ and enjoy the 40-overs per side Sunday competition.

“A different variety of fixtures is also guaranteed as seven clubs from other leagues are members of this section, six from four neighbouring Yorkshire leagues plus Norden from the Central Lancashire League.”