The JCT600 Bradford League is undoubtedly one of the country’s premier leagues – if not the premier league.

But one statistic that sticks in the craw is that 48.5 per cent of second-team matches in the season just finished only had one umpire.

“We cannot continue like this,” said the league’s president Keith Moss. “This is not an umpires’ problem, it is not a clubs’ problem, it is a Bradford League problem and we are all in it together – clubs and umpires.

“So we have organised group meetings geographically to try and recruit umpires.”

Meetings have already been held at Cleckheaton, Pudsey St Lawrence and East Bierley and there are meetings to come at Undercliffe (tonight) and next week at a club in the Aire Valley area.

In a letter to all clubs, Bradford League secretary Steve Raistrick said: “The league now has a distinct lack of umpires. You will be aware that far too many second XI matches had only one umpire.

“This is not acceptable for a league of our standing. Clearly something must be done, not least by involving all our member clubs.”

Moss and fellow management board member Alan Carter, who is the Umpires’ Association representative, have been speaking at the meetings, and Moss added: “They have been very well attended but we need more umpires.

“Level One courses can be arranged and one or two senior umpires who have retired will act as assessors during the season.”

In explaining why umpiring numbers have gone down, Moss said: “That is a good question and there are a mixture of reasons.

“Firstly, umpires tend to be older and are therefore among the ageing members of the cricket family, and secondly there is the discipline issue.

“We as a league will not accept bad discipline by players, and we will be looking at all aspects of this.

“Another reason is that there are a lot of senior leagues covering a small area, such as the Bradford League, Central Yorkshire League and Huddersfield League.”

Recruiting recently retired players or players reaching the end of their playing days are two obvious avenues but Moss added tellingly: “I don’t think we have tapped into the younger players.”

One person who is ideally placed to talk about this issue is Neil Johnson, who is both appointments’ secretary of the Bradford Cricket League Umpires’ Association and secretary of the Bradford Junior Cricket League.

He said: “We have discussed the idea of getting more younger officials at the ECB ACO.

“Some might play junior cricket and then find it difficult to get into second-team cricket.

“In some cases they are keener on the sport than some of those who are playing senior cricket, and if they would become umpires it would not only keep them in the game but they would be paid too.

“Another potential source are the senior teams that have grown old together.”

If anyone is interested in becoming an umpire, they should contact Alan Carter at alan.carter1947@sky.com.

There is an incentive of £100 to each group for providing panel umpires who are available regularly.