OVINGTON will begin their defence of the York Vale Cricket League's HPH Cup with a trip to South Cave & Brantingham.

Bishopthorpe II, who will be bidding for a hat-trick of wins in the Scothern Construction Cup, start their treble quest with a home tie against Pocklington.

The draws were made at a Vale League clubs forum at Fulford Working Men's Club on Monday, February 22.

The HPH Cup final will be played at Clifton Alliance on Sunday, August 7 and the Scothern Construction Cup final will be hosted by Malton & Old Malton on Sunday, August 21.

The league has decided to give a facelift to the Mitchell and Prendergast Memorial Cups by turning them into a T20 format.

The finals will be played on Pocklington's two pitches on the same afternoon, Sunday, August 14. Further details will be announced at a later date.

The junior sixes tournament is to be replaced with one focussed on senior cricket. It will take place on Selby’s two pitches at Sandhill Lane on Sunday, June 26.

Yorkshire Cricket Board development officers Richard Wilkinson and Joe Ashdown gave a presentation at the forum, with the two-hour discussion covering key aspects of club governance including development planning, coaching, player recruitment and support grants.

Andy Copeland has stepped down from the role of league secretary, although will continue to compile the fixtures. Until a successor is found, league chairman Shane Hargrave will take on the secretary's duties.

The league is ringing the changes to its end-of-season awards event by moving out of York and breaking away from the formality of hotel meals.

The plan is to hold this year's event at the Regen Leisure Centre in Riccall with the food supplied by the nearby Spice Mill Indian restaurant.

The league will be inviting its Foss Evening League partners to present their end-of-season awards at the venue if they wish.

The cup draws are:

HPH Cup, round 1 (Saturday, May 21): Ben Johnson v Bishopthorpe, Melbourne v Wheldrake, Burn v Ovington II, Westow v Kelfield, Clifton Alliance v Fulfordgate, South Cave & Brantingham v Ovington, Stockton & Hopgrove v Askham Bryan, Hemingbrough v Hirst.

Scothern Construction Cup, preliminary round (Saturday, April 30/Sunday, May 1): Malton & Old Malton II v Ovington III, TABS v Stamford Bridge, Burton Salmon v Thorpe Willoughby; round 1 (Saturday, 21 May): Burton Salmon or Thorpe Willoughby v Selby, Stillingfleet v Yapham, Thorpe Willoughby II v Malton & Old Malton II or Ovington III, Bishopthorpe II v Pocklington, Tadcaster Magnet v TABS or Stamford Bridge, Dunnington v Malton & Old Malton, Yapham v Acomb, Thixendale v Burn II.