Vale Cricket League’s University blow (From York Press)

Vale Cricket League’s University blow

11:24am Thursday 19th April 2012 in York Vale League

UNIVERSITY of York Staff pulled out of the HPH York Vale Cricket League just over an hour before the league’s pre-season meeting earlier this week.

Their decision was announced at the meeting at York RI’s New Lane clubhouse when clubs received handbooks and boxes of balls for the new season.

Staff club secretary Jason Lynam wrote in an email to League secretary John Parker: “It is with very deep regret that I must inform you that the University Staff Cricket Club will be withdrawing from the Vale League with immediate effect.

“We appreciate that this is very late notice with the season just around the corner and that it will inconvenience a number of other clubs.

“However, it has become clear in the last few weeks that despite our very best efforts to enter a team for the year this will not be possible for a number of compound reasons. This is a very bitter disappointment of all of us associated with the club and we would like to thank you all for many years of enjoyable cricket.”

Staff, members of the Vale League since 1997 and champions in 2009, were scheduled to start the season on Saturday, April 28, with a division two fixture at home to Selby.

The club, which relied heavily on overseas post-graduate students, were relegated from division one in 2010. They would have been relegated for a second successive season but for a league reshuffle which saw the introduction this year of a sixth division for the first time in the league’s history.