YOUNG players in the HPH York Vale Cricket League are to get the chance to show their skills in a new tournament this summer.

The league is breaking new ground with the inaugural Vale League Under-16 Sixes Festival at Selby Cricket Club on Sunday, June 24.

An afternoon of high-energy six-a-side cricket gets underway at Sandhill Lane from 1.30pm.

Matches will be played initially in two groups on two pitches followed by a knockout format with the winners of each group playing the runners-up from the other.

All players must be under 16 as at August 31, 2011 and be registered to a York Vale club.

It is expected that while the juniors will have played at least some games in the Vale League this season, they must not have played more than two games with their club’s York & District Senior League teams.

Entry is restricted to York Vale clubs, but those with a limited number of eligible juniors may combine with another Vale club in the interests of giving their youngsters a taste of sixes cricket.

League chairman Shane Hargrave said: “The Vale League prides itself on giving youngsters their first taste open-age competitive cricket.

“So it is very important that we keep investing in our young cricketers and many will get the opportunity to showcase their skills in our first-ever U16s six-a-side festival.”

Entry is £10 per team and must be made to League secretary John Parker by Monday, May 14.

The Vale League’s pre-season meeting will be held at York RI’s clubhouse on Monday, April 16, when handbooks and boxes of Hunt’s balls for the new season will be distributed. There will also be an introduction on submitting new-style scorecards electronically.