Drax III and fifth York Cricket Club team voted into HPH Vale Cricket League (From York Press)

Drax III and fifth York Cricket Club team voted into HPH Vale Cricket League

9:17am Thursday 12th November 2009

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YORK Cricket Club will have a fifth team playing in the HPH York Vale League next year.

Along with Drax III, they were voted in at the league’s annual meeting at Fulfordgate Working Men’s Club. It takes the number of teams in the league to 50 and it is anticipated there will be five divisions of ten teams in 2010.

Club representatives Mark Burn (York) and Dave Cartwright (Drax) said their sides would be development teams, largely made up of juniors. It is probable they will start in division five. Both sides propose to play home games on Sundays but opponents have the right to insist their game be played on a Saturday.

Drax I and II both played in the Vale League this summer but next year will be in the York and District Senior League.

The maximum number of overs a bowler can bowl per innings next season will be cut from 15 to 12 after a proposal by Fulfordgate CC was passed by 16 votes to 15.

It was also agreed by a large majority that all teams must use the league’s approved ball – Reader’s Gold A, stamped with the HPH logo – for all league and cup games.

The meeting unanimously backed a rule that all clubs must have third party liability insurance.

Clubs who fail to submit results or a fully completed result form by the appropriate deadline could be docked points in future. A sliding scale of punishment for offenders was agreed – first and second offence £5 fines, third offence £10 fine, fourth and fifth offence five points deducted and sixth offence, or more, ten points deducted.

Clubs who wish to appeal against decisions of the regulatory committee will need to make a deposit of £25 for each appeal, payable in advance. If the original decision is upheld by the management committee, the fee will not be returned.

Treasurer Mike Hamshere will be stepping down when a replacement is found. Cup secretary Dave Smith, who has served on the league committee for more than 25 years, did not seek re-election. Both were members of the British Sugar club which folded a few weeks into last season. Paul Smith (Drax) has also relinquished his place on the committee.

Joining the committee are Dave Milburn (Hemingbrough) and Ian Holmes (Bishopthorpe).

The league completed last season without a secretary and chairman Peter Northfield said: “I would encourage members to help us find a secretary to enable the league to cope with the day-to-day issues and to respond to the new initiatives which constantly come our way.

“Unless we have people stepping forward to take on key roles, the league will not be able to provide cricket to its members in the way it has done before.”

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