RICHARD Hutton, the former Yorkshire and England player has bemoaned the lack of schoolboys coming into cricket which he felt was a major problem for the future of the game.

Hutton, who was speaking at the Woodhouse Grange Cricket Club diamond jubilee celebration dinner at York Viking Moat House, said the lack of scholars was a fundamental change.

"Apart from the private sector (public schools), few other schools have been playing cricket over the last 20 years or so and we are now seeing the effect this is having.

"There seems to be little interest in developing the game in what is the most important time of their lives. We won't get anywhere unless teachers get back to teaching cricket. The problem is that there appears to be nobody to teach the teachers."

Hutton is a trustee of the Yorkshire County Cricket Club charitable trust and works with the Sir Len Hutton Foundation raising funds to administrate a scheme to help youngsters enjoy their cricket.

John Stroughair, chairman of Woodhouse Grange CC, presented Alasdair Swann, a former chairman, with a set of silver cricket cufflinks to mark his 50 years with the club.

Updated: 12:26 Wednesday, February 27, 2002