Skipper Chris Gott is leaving Pudsey St Lawrence in a surprise move to join Aire-Wharfe club Skipton.

Gott has played with Pudsey for 12 years and has been captain for the last eight. He also led the Bradford League to five consecutive Yorkshire Leagues knockout titles between 1993 and 1997.

Skipton have just been relegated from Division A of the Aire-Wharfe, but Gott said: "It is a big wrench to leave Pudsey. I didn't particularly want to leave the Bradford League, but it was a move I couldn't turn down at this stage. There is a job to be done at Skipton. They obviously want to go up at the first attempt and progress from there.

"I want to recruit a decent overseas player. Otherwise we will be close to the same side as played this season. They have got a lot of players who should be able to perform in Division B. I want to get them used to winning."

Three of his former Pudsey team-mates - Sean Atkinson, Martin Redhead and Gareth Lee - are in the Skipton team.

Gott will will keep his involvement with Pudsey as a member of the cricket committee and will help with team-building during the winter. Former Yorkshire batsman Ashley Metcalfe succeeds him as Pudsey captain.

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