The Bradford Cicket League has produced a souvenir book which charts the history of the league.

Keighley CC gets an impressive chapter in the book looking at the club's stars throughout the century of cricket.

As well as taking a detailed look at the league itself, the book looks at the characters and the clubs who have contributed to it.

Written by journalists Alan Birkinshaw and David Markham, who were assisted by Bradford League enthusiast Reg Nelson and a host of club contributors, the publication retraces many memorable moments from 100 magical seasons.

Its 400 pages are packed with information and pictures which illustrate how the Bradford League came to be acknowledged as possibly the best club competition in England. Right from the halcyon days of the legendary SF Barnes and Sir Jack Hobbs in 1915 the league has attracted many of the finest cricketers.

Such England cricketing greats as Sir Leonard Hutton (Pudsey St Lawrence), Ray Illingworth (Farsley) and Jim Laker (Saltaire) launched their illustrious careers in the Bradford League while the wonderful West Indian all rounder Sir Learie Constantine was a key member of the Windhill side which won a record five consecutive Bradford League championships between 1937 and 1941.

In recent years the league has attracted many talented overseas players who have gone on to become Test stars, players like Nathan Astle, Martin Crowe, Martin Crowe and Lou Vincent (all New Zealand), Yusuf Youhana and Imran Nazir ( both Pakistan), VVS Laxman, Vinod Kambli and Wasim Jaffer (all India). More than 100 Test players have appeared in the league and these include current England stars Matthew Hoggard, Craig White and Darren Gough.

But the history of the Bradford League is not just about Test players. One of the main features of the publication is a selection devoted to ten of its best known grass root characters who give their views on the ten players who have influenced them most during their Bradford League careers.

The league's history is followed season by season with full league tables for every season. There's a section charting the history of each of the current 29 clubs as well as a chapter on the teams who have fallen by the wayside, clubs varying from the dominant Bradford club to the little known Bradford Lamplighters. The text is supported with pictures and statistics.

The Priestley Cup, which celebrates its 100th season in 2003, also has a chapter of its own with supporting statistics. Was it really as long ago as 1949 that Ray Illingworth made 148 not out for Farsley against Pudsey St Lawrence - an innings he started as a 16 year old and completed as 17 year old at a time when the cup was played on successive evenings?

The book, in hardback is priced at £17.00

n Copies are available from league secretary Bob Shackleton, 628 Bradford Road, Oakenshaw, Bradford BD12 7EN. Telephone 01274 676604.

Or Philip Radcliff 01274 420551.