THIRTY clubs will battle it out for HPH York Vale Cricket League honours this summer.

The league will operate with three division of 10, with draft fixtures circulated to clubs this month.

The new season starts on Saturday, April 28 and finishes on Saturday, September 8.

The league’s pre-season meeting will be held for the first time at Dunnington Sports Club, on Thursday, April 12, from 7.30pm.

Apart from collecting fees and distributing cricket balls, the evening will include a session on changes to laws by Pocklington-based umpire Rob Smith.

Significant alterations to laws will come into force in the new season, such as the red and yellow card law which gives umpires the powers to dismiss players for serious disciplinary breaches. There are also law changes on beamers and to fielders absent from the field of play.

Vale League chairman Shane Hargrave said: “Rob will cover all these and other issues that tend to regularly test some of our club umpires. It is vital that team captains and other players who regularly stand as umpires in our league attend this meeting.”

Umpire courses run by the York branch of the Yorkshire Cricket Board are being held at the city’s Marriott Hotel on Mondays from January 8 to February 5, 7.30pm to 9.30pm. Covering the basics, stage one is regarded as ideal for Vale club umpires.

Teams are still needed for a new indoor cricket venture at Barlby High School on Tuesdays from February 6, 7pm to 9pm. The cost is £2-£2.50 per player per game. For details, phone Joe Ashdown, the ECB’s cricket development manager for Selby and East Yorkshire, on 07894 584889 or email j.ashdown@yorkshirecb.com.

The league’s annual presentation evening will be held at the Regen Centre, Riccall, on Friday, October 5. The event will be hosted by Andy Atkinson, of BBC Radio York.

The format of the Vale League for the 2018 season is:

Div 1: Westow, Kelfield, Burn, Clifton Alliance, Melbourne, Askham Bryan, Wheldrake, Thixendale, Ovington, South Cave & Brantingham.

Div 2: Stockton & Hopgrove, Ben Johnson, Stamford Bridge, Hirst Courtney, Thorpe Willoughby, Yapham, Hemingbrough, Malton & Old Malton, Bishopthorpe, Acomb.

Div 3: Pocklington, Dunnington, Burn II, Ovington II, Thorpe Willoughby II, Stamford Bridge II, Yapham II, Selby, Clifton Alliance II, Sessay.