Aire-Wharfe Cricket League faces new challenge

This division has attracted a host of new clubs to the league, the majority from the Leeds League, and has stretched the league's borders out as far as Grassington in North Yorkshire to Colton in east Leeds.

It will be an exciting time for the league with new clubs and many new players.

Prospects for the season which opens on April 29 are::

Division 'A'

ADEL - The club has signed Shane Harwood as their overseas player. There have been several other changes to personnel at the club, an unusual event in recent years at Adel CC. Ian Jones has stepped down as First XI captain and will be replaced by Stuart Howie. Chris Dallas will led the Second XI. Tony March has retired while Bruce Rainford has returned to Horsforth and Neil Johnson has moved to Guiseley. Iain Bath, an opening bowler and middle-order batsman from St Chad's and Alex Simms, a bowler from Bristol, have both joined the club.

BECKWITHSHAW - David Bolton will be the club's overseas player for the Millennium season. Matthew Smart has moved from Harrogate, Paul Thompson and Paul Whitehead from Follifoot and Nigel Downing returns to the club from Pannal. The club has lost the services of Scott Thomas, who has moved to Harrogate. The club hopes to make other signings before the start of the season.

BILTON - No players have left Bilton over the winter and various signings are in the pipeline. An overseas player is likely to be added to the club staff before the deadline.

BURLEY-IN-WHARFEDALE - The Millennium season sees the return of former junior Richard Harrison and he brings with him a colleague from Lascelles Hall in Mohammed Saddique, an all-rounder who has previously played at Woodhouse. There will again be a reliance on junior players brought through the club and league junior systems. The club will be weakened by the loss of Nick Brook, who is playing in Australia. Richard Brook will lead the First XI, David Wadsworth the Second XI and Chris Peel the Third XI.

FOLLIFOOT - The Millennium season marks the club's first-ever participation in Division 'A'. The club has recruited Michael Stanford (formerly of Knaresborough CC) from Burnmoor in the Durham Senior League and Ian Houseman joins from Dacre Banks. Ian has played for Harrogate and Yorkshire previously. The overseas player is Glen Sullivan, An Australian opening bowler. Almost all last season's successful squad are available and the club hopes that they will achieve their first goal of consolation in Division 'A'.

GUISELEY - The club report that Mark Ross will be back with them from Farsley. Neil Johnson has joined the club from Adel and Richard Whitaker will be available once his university term is complete. One player to move on is David Brady, who has moved to Otley. Joe Sayers has signed scholarship forms for Yorkshire CCC. Guiseley now hope that promising young players, such as Chris Thompson and Chris Wain, will continue to mature. Steve Thompson will lead the First XV and Nick Fraser the Second XI.

KNARESBOROUGH - The club has lost three of last year's First XI. Steven Booth, last year's captain, has gone to Collingham, Paul Thompson to Beckwithshaw and Gareth Simmons, who is now working in London. No new recruits have, so far, joined the club. The club has taken a deliberate policy not to employ an overseas player for season 2000. The First XI will be skippered by Jonathan Corcoran, the Second XI by Ian Skinner and the Third XI by Chris Page.

NORTH LEEDS - There are few changes in personnel at the Homestead. David Winter has returned to the Bradford League and Steven Wales takes over the First XI captaincy. Brian Stevens will lead the Second XI. Roger Jackson will captain the Third XI. David Yeates, a middle-order batsman, has joined the club from Bournemouth area and the club hopes that a quick bowler, possibly from South Africa, will also be signed before the season begins. The club will continue to promote junior players as much as possible.

Rawdon - Bruce Percy stands down as captain after three years in charge of the First XI, though he will continue to play at the club. Peter Smith replaces him. Denis Rock joins the club after many years of sterling service at Hall Park. The club's overseas player will be Kenrick Marshall, also from Hall Park. Kenrick won the League First XI bowling prize in 1999. Gary Walker will continue as captain of the Second XI and David Chapman will lead the Third XI.

Silsden - John Akrigg will continue to lead the First XI. Hugh Sugden will be his deputy. Ian Sagar will captain the Second XI. The club has lost the services of Adrian Knowles and Mark Akrigg but they have gained Hayden Tennant (from Steeton) and Chris Walker (from Ingrow CC). Shane Collins will again be the club's overseas player.

SKIPTON - Martyn Redhead will not be playing for the club in season 2000. Brian Hodgson has also left the club and returned to Embsay. Andrew Facey will succeeed him as Second XI captain. Peter Rose and John McPherson both join from Riddlesden in the Bradford Central League.

Steeton - The club reports that Michael Wilson has come out of retirement and will again don the whites. Russell Newton will captain the First XI with Alex Howarth as his deputy. Graham Harrison and Oliver Gledhill will fill similar roles in the Second XI. Matthew Pinniger will be returning as the overseas player.

Division 'B'

Addingham - Keith Wilkinson will again lead the First XI with Richard Simpson has his deputy. Paul Rishworth will be Second XI captain and Gerry Walker will continue in that capacity with the Third XI. The club has lost the services of Philip and Michael Sant, who have gone to Ilkley, but welcome John Terry from Thackley and Philip Leng, from Wilsden. Bruce Walker joins from Silsden and Brad King returns from playing professional hockey in Australia.

ALWOODLEY - Paul Mercer will again led the First XI and Geoff Weir takes over from John Hatchard as Second XI captain. Queenslander Troy Webster will not be returning and will be replaced by Craig Adlington, a top-order batsman from Palmerston North in New Zealand. John Lambert, an all-rounder from Colne, joins the club and Jon Collier returns from spells in the Leeds and Wetherby Leagues. Mike Dallaston has gone to Adel. Brian Kinsey will again lead the Third XI.

CALVERLEY - The club looks forward to season 2000 with a positive attitude after relegation in 1999. Tony Carroll will lead the First XI, Chris West the Second XI and Tony Rimmer the Third XI. Nahim Ashaf, Tahir Khan and Andrew Cawthra have been lost from last year's First XI. Kevin Reed has joined from the NYSD League. He is an opening bowler. The club hope to secure the services of another opening bowler from South Africa and an opening batsman.

COLLINGHAM - David Holmes takes over as First XI captain, with Phil James and Martin Jacklin leading the Second XI and Third XI respectively. The club has signed Faeez Khan, a 20-year-old from Durban. He is a useful all-rounder. Steven Booth joins from Knaresborough to give variety to the bowling attack, which will also include the promising Oliver Driver.

GREEN LANE - The club reports only two new signings for the new season. Scott Crosby returns to the League from Windhill. Scott was a member of the victorious Lords Taverners XI in the 1988 tournament. He now bowls off-spin and bats in the middle order. The club's overseas player will be Stuart Willis. He is from Adelaide and is a top-order batsman and fast bowler.

HALL PARK - The club has just completed a refurbishment of the lounge and games room. Several players have joined the club for the new season. Jonathan Doidge, Richard Allinson (from Farsley) and John Mancrief (from Cayton CC) are all new signings. Dennis Rock and Kenrick Marshall have both left the club to join Rawdon and Fav Butt has moved to Collingham. Ian Bass has retired.

HORSFORTH - The club is delighted to welcome back Bruce Rainford after a very successful period at Adel. He will captain the First XI. Matthew Bates joins from Otley Town. The overseas player, Nishan Gonsolcorale, also returns after a very successful 1999, on both the playing and social sides. The Juniors continue to develop and four Horsforth junior figures in the Yorkshire Cricket Board's Pathways to Excellence winter coaching programme. Graham Fletcher will lead the First XI and John Riley the Third XI. The club will run three teams in the Airedale and Wharfedale League, a Dales Council XI, an Evening League XI and four Junior XIs.

ILKLEY - The club has new captains with Jonathan Hughes leading the First XI. He replaces Andrew Bird, who has moved to Lancaster for a career in the prison service. Graham Storr will lead the Second XI and Mike Hughes the Third XI. New recruits include Phil Moffatt, a fast-bowling all-rounder, who has played for Morecambe, Phil Sant also returns from Addingham, and his son Michael joins him. Early season availability will again be a problem for some players but this will mean that the club's younger prospects get a chance to shine.

ILLINGWORTH - Sam Smith will captain the First XI with Richard Dixon as his deputy. Ben Johnston returns to the club as their overseas player. Craig Brennan, a left-arm opening bowler, joins from Kirkburton of the Huddersfield League. Mark Fellows and David Lawton are both spending a year in Australia and will miss the whole of the season. Bob Hargreaves will continue to captain the Second XI.

Menston - Richard Taylor will again lead Menston's First XI with all-rounder Michael Bredenkamp (formerly of Follifoot CC) filling the overseas role. The club is hopeful that James and Charles Dracup will be available for at least part of the season. The Second XI will be captained by Mike Pratt, who replaces Richard Galling after two years.

OTLEY - No players have left the club from the 1999 squad. Adrian Atter is the new First XI captain. Steven Wood will lead the Second XI and the Third XI will be under the guidance of David Lowen in their first season in the Airedale and Wharfedale League's Third XI competition. Marshall Moir from New Zealand will be the club's overseas player. Paul Kelly will be available all season while Ben Hawley returns from Otley Town while his goalkeeping colleague at Town AFC, Andrew Pickering is also expected to linbk up with his former Yeadon CC colleague Paul Machell at the club. Adam Richards and Mark Pennington also join.

TONG PARK - The track down to the ground has been further improved during the winter months. Chris Shepherd will be First XI captain and Paul Town has been appointed Second XI captain.

Division 'C'

BARDSEY - The club hopes to sign Johnny Johnson from Old Modernians (and formerly of Horsforth CC). He is a very steady top-order player. Graham Squires, an all-rounder, returns to the game after a year out. He most recently played for Barwick CC. Chris Newton returns to the club from Birstall in the Central Yorkshire League.

BEN RHYDDING - The First XI captain will be Andrew Jennings and Iain Alcorn will lead the Second XI. The club is sad to report the death of Ken Lickley, who would have been captain of the Second XI. The club has also lost Martin Hawkins due to business commitments. The club hope to make various signings before the season begins, including an overseas player.

BOLTON VILLAS - The club looks forward with anticipation to its debut season in the Senior League, an exciting new time for all concerned with Bolton Villas CC. The First XI captain will be Steve Wilson, with Mick Birts as his vice-captain. Club chairman Martin Binns will lead the Second XI, with Martin Patchett as his deputy. New players include Chris Hizzett (from Undercliffe), Paul Topham (from Bingley Congs) and Paul Cavender from Thackley. Andrew Bottomley returns after a couple of years out due to business commitments. The club has received £10,000 in grants from Awards for All and the local council. The money has been used to build a new practice facility.

COLTON INSTITUTE - A brief report from Colton informs me that the club will operate in the Millennium season with the same squad as last year. All three XIs will contain a large percentage of young players. David Ryder, secretary of Yorkshire CCC, will captain the First XI.

KIRKSTALL EDUCATIONAL - Several players have joined the club. The overseas player will be Australian Adrian Barber, previously with Barwick-in-Elmet in the Wetherby League. Graham Gibson, a slow left arm bowler, joins from Chorley in the Northern League. Tom Rees, a right-hand bat and right arm fast/medium bowler, joins from Settle CC, as does Ed Day, a right-hand bat and left arm medium-fast bowler. Al Coates, a right-hand bat and right arm fast/medium bowler moves from Roundhay CC. Finally, Rob Finch, a right-hand bat and wicketkeeper, who is a dentistry student at Leeds University, begins his competitive career at Queenswood Drive. Some players have also left the club. Last season's overseas player, Antoinee Coetzee, from South Africa, has moved to Highbury in the Leeds League. Qulzan Mahmood has joined Farsley and Manni Mahmood may not be so available, due to business commitments.

OLICANIANS - The club will have their new pavilion open in time for the new season and an official opening will follow in August, 2000. New captains have been appointed for the club's debut in the Senior League. Leigh Ellis will be in charge of the First XI and John Hardisty the Second XI. The club hope to have the services of Shannon Ford, a wicketkeeper/batsman from Australia. The club has signed two players from the defunct Otley Town CC in Nick McNiece and Chris Campbell.

Pool - Pool CC have again secured the services of David Tidmarsh, from Australia, as their overseas player for their debut season in the Airedale and Wharfedale League. David Murphy will lead the First XI and Peter Brogan the Second XI. James Milligan joins the club from Idle, having previously played for Pudsey St Lawrence and Horsforth. Nick Allan,formerly of Beckwithshaw, and Will Haines (from the now defunct Otley Town) have also joined. No player has left the club. An artificial wicket has been laid in association with Pool School and the ECB's programme.

POOL MILLS - The club's overseas player, Shaun Fitzsimmons, will be returning from Melbourne. He is a wicketkeeper/batsman. Bernard Thornton has also joined from Otley Town and Anthony Gilmartin, formerly of Guiseley, will be joining after a break from the game. The club has lost Nick Kane, who has joined Yeadon. On the development front, the club has a new scorebox in place.

THACKLEY - The club is pleased to welcome back Mick Kettlewell, son of secretary Mick Kettlewell, from Old Crossleyans in the Halifax CL. Tony Smith, formerly of Guiseley and Crossflatts, also joins.

UPPER WHARFEDALE - The club again hope to have the services of Australian all-rounder Justin Graham. Newcomers include wicketkeeper Duncan Humphries but otherwise the side will be the same as that which played in the Craven League. The First XI will be captained by John Slater, with John Harrison as his deputy. The Second XI will be led by David Crabtree, aided by David Daggett.

WOODHOUSE - The club is looking forward to the challenge of a new league but naturally feels some sadness at the steady demise of the Leeds League. Matthew Hartican will lead the First XI and several players have joined the club. Paul Sutherland is back from Liverpool, Mohammed Akram has joined from Leeds Police and Russell Parker has arrived from Rothwell. Steve Bray will lead the Second XI.

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