Drakes Huddersfield League officials are waiting for a final outcome amid more changes to the West Yorkshire cricket scene.
The break-up of the Central League has featured another twist with three of their clubs being accepted into the Pontefract League .
Horbury Bridge, Calder Grove and Denby Grange have decided against applying to either the Drakes or Spenser Wilson Halifax League and have been taken in by Pontefract.
Four Central clubs – Mount, Birchencliffe, Leymoor and Bradley & Colne – will play in the Halifax League next year subject to ratification by the Calderdale clubs.
Should they be accepted, the Drakes would be left to accommodate seven clubs – Holmbridge, Edgerton & Dalton, Nortonthorpe, Almondburians, Flockton, Cartworth Moor and Augustinians (the final two clubs having only one team).
Green Moor and Higham, who were in the Central last summer, have already left for the South Yorkshire League in 2017.
Until the Halifax League and Central League hold their annual meetings next month – on the 15th and 22nd respectively – Drakes officials won’t know exactly how many clubs they need to bring under their umbrella.
Only then can they make a decision on how best to accommodate them – it’s been mooted they are introduced into a revamped second XI set-up.
See Delph receiving the Sykes Cup last season:
The Halifax League have just announced that Old Crossleyans Cricket Club – linked to the rugby union club of the same name – have disbanded with immediate effect.
The Crocs had a first team, second team and Sunday-section side last summer, but their official resignation has been accepted, with regret, by the Executive.
On top of all this, an urgent appeal for more Huddersfield people to take up umpiring has been made.
Umpires Association secretary Ron Tindall says they are facing a “dire shortage” of officials for next summer, with only 45 on the list at the moment.
They need 38 of those to take charge of first XI matches in the Drakes, leaving just one per fixture in the top section of the second XI competition.
And that’s without the addition of any further clubs from the Central League!
Clubs have been asked to approach former players, supporters and associates to try and get people involved – many already have their own club umpires and some of those have stepped up to the main ranks in recent seasons.
But more needs to be done.
A basic umpiring course and an ECB Level 1 course are planned for this winter.
Anyone who is interested can contact Mr Tindall on 01484 664002 or 07860 137162 for further information.
