Leagues to meet up to plot future
OFFICIALS of the JW Lees Pennine Cricket League will meet with their Greater Manchester League counterparts to talk about cricket in 2018.
The decision to meet was given the green light during a meeting of the Pennine League on Tuesday night when it emerged that only eight of the current 24 clubs were still committed to the league for 2018.
Five former Central Lancashire League clubs have been accepted into the Lancashire League for next season. Four more clubs have indicated they will be leaving the league, and seven are considering their positions.
Only one club, believed to be Royton, has so far resigned by letter from the Pennine League.
League chairman Nigel Tench said: “We could still have a mini league of eight clubs, but the top table doesn’t think that is a viable option, and we would like permission to talk to the LCB and Greater Manchester League.
The Lancashire Cricket Board was represented at Tuesday’s meeting by Bobby Denning and Paul Bryson.
Mr Denning told delegates that if the Pennine League remained the LCB should support it, and if the league folded everything would be done to ensure clubs had a league to go to in 2018.
But he came under fire from league secretary Trevor Harrison who said: “When five clubs said they wanted to leave the league we told you it could have a domino effect, but you didn’t take that on board. We told you the league would be decimated. It is shameful that you have not supported us.”
There were accusations that the LCB had supported the Northern League in its fight against expansion by the Lancashire League, but not supported the Pennine League in a similar situation.
Mr Denning said the situation with the Northern League and Pennine League was totally different.
League president John Holder said: “I am extremely disappointed and almost hurt by what has happened. I will not be watching cricket in another league next season, I will just stay at home.”
THERE will be a senior inter-league team this year, thanks to John Selby who has taken over as chairman of the players sub-committee and manager of the league team. He has been joined on the committee by Andy Young of Austerlands.
Arnold Darlington and John Holder have joined the grounds committee.
CLUBS have been warned that a club umpire will be needed for all second team matches on the weekend of 13/14 May, unless they are told differently.
This is due to a shortage of men in the middle, and umpires official Eric Roberts said a proposed free umpires course for Pennine clubs had been scrapped due to a lack of interest.
Several clubs will be without fixtures this weekend which brings the Prelim round of the JW Lees Bitter Wood Cup.
‘I am extremely disappointed and almost hurt by what has happened’
Heyside v Uppermill; Milnrow v Stayley, Royton v Oldham, Hollinwood v Shaw, Middleton v Micklehurst; Moorside v Werneth; Monton and Weaste v Ashton; Austerlands v Friarmere.