David Warner on Yorkshire

Phoenix rose from the ashes yet again for Yorkshire County Cricket Club yesterday when the club decided to stick with their new name in the National League this season despite strong protests from traditionalist members at the club's annual meeting last Saturday.

Club president Sir Lawrence Byford had promised them that the name would be reviewed, but at yesterday's meeting at Headingley the committee decided that Phoenix is still the most appropriate and the one most likely to attract a younger audience.

Mark Newton, Yorkshire's director of marketing, commented: "The arguments put forward for the name on Saturday remain the same and since then there has been a more favourable reaction, with members beginning to understand the reasons for it.

"The Phoenix is unique, like Yorkshire cricket, and is appropriate to the rebirth of one-day cricket in this country this summer.

"The committee took these views on board and it was felt it would be a retrograde step to reverse a decision previously taken.

"We are trying to appeal to a new audience of younger people and a survey last year showed that cricket was not in the top 10 of sports for the under 15s.

"At our day-night match at Headingley, however, 19 per cent of the 10,000 spectators were watching a cricket match for the first time and we want to do everything we can to make them regular attenders."

Following the narrow vote at the annual meeting in favour of returning championship cricket to Harrogate and Sheffield next year, the committee decided to meet both clubs and ask for a detailed business plan covering all aspects of the games before reaching a final decision over whether to take matches there.

It was also agreed that a summit conference will be held within the next two weeks to "bottom out" the redevelopment of Headingley.Representatives from Yorkshire, Leeds CFAC, Leeds City Council and the Sports Council will try to determine how much money can be raised for the £11m project.

Keith Moss was re-elected club chairman yesterday and former Yorkshire and England off-spinner Geoff Cope was given a place on the cricket committee, which continues to be chaired by Bob Platt.

The sub-committees are - cricket: R Platt, P Sharpe, G Cope, P Akroyd; finance: D Welch, A Vann, P Quinn, E Houseman; marketing and membership: E Houseman (chairman), S Fielden, A Cawdry, J Sokell; ground development sub committee: R Platt, P Quinn, G Finch (appointed). The club chairman, president and treasurer are ex officio members of all sub committees.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.