East Bierley hope they have solved their fixture conundrum.
They were double booked this Sunday for cup matches, facing Baildon in a second-round Priestley Cup replay and Idle in a third-round Heavy Woollen Cup fixture.
The Specialist Ducting Supplies Bradford League have ruled that the Priestley Cup tie takes precedence, but with the third-round due the following Sunday and the fourth round of the Heavy Woollen Cup the Sunday after that, it left East Bierley and Idle with little room for maneouvre.
However, with the blessing of Heavy Woollen Cup secretary Lesley Robinson, East Bierley will play Idle on Sunday, June 29 at South View Road - despite it putting them a round behind all the other ties.
"Both Idle and ourselves will worry about when to catch up in the Heavy Woollen Cup when it comes around," says East Bierley's cricket secretary Ben Hemming.
The chief concern for Robinson now is that either East Bierley or Idle will be drawn against a Huddersfield League club in the fourth round next Tuesday.
"They haven't been as flexible as Bradford League clubs as to when Heavy Woollen Cup matches are to be played," she confessed.
The only other option for East Bierley and Idle, according to Robinson, would have been to play on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings next week. And, as she rightly said, what would happen then if the Priestley Cup replay spilled over into evening action next week?
After the matches on May 17, East Bierley were joint top of the table with Baildon on 15 points.
Now, four matches later, the men from South View Road have only picked up a further three points and have dropped to joint fourth-from-bottom.
The reason for that is simple according to Hemming - injuries. He said: "We have already used five stumpers so far this season - Lee Goddard, James Goldthorp, Tabassum Bhatti, Paul Huddlestone and Richard Gould.
"Goldthorp has been out with a calf injury, Bhatti has dislocated a finger playing for Yorkshire Academy and has also been out for three weeks and Goddard has missed seven matches as he has been playing for Loughborough University.
"Richard had to keep for us last Sunday, but at least we know we have Lee Goddard back for this weekend's matches."
East Bierley will find out nearer the match whether they have all-rounder Gavin Hamilton available.
Ironically, considering the table four weeks ago, they face Baildon (joint fifth) on successive days at home - tomorrow in the league and, of course, on Sunday in that Priestley Cup replay.
Leaders Pudsey Congs are at home to basement club Gomersal, while second-placed Undercliffe are at home to Idle.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article