CLUBS in the Mewies Solicitors Craven League have rejected an internal loan system at their annual meeting at Cross Hills Social Club.

In a bid to lessen the number of conceded matches, a rule change proposal from Bingley Congs asked for under-17swho are not regular first-teamers to be loaned to other clubs if they were not needed by their parent club.

The proposal also applied to adult players as long as they had not made more than four appearances at a level of more than two divisions above.

The vote was 13 in favour of the change and 11 against, with some clubs obviously worried about possible manipulation, but it required a two-thirds majority to be passed, and was therefore not carried.

However, league secretary Ann Coe said after the meeting: “The executive committee will look at it and see where we go for season 2016.”

But the Aire-Wharfe League’s offer to loan out their under-19 players to lesser leagues on Saturdays will remain.

Coe added: “This has been approved by the Yorkshire Cricket Board.”

One rule change that was passed was the executive’s proposal that bowlers be restricted to a maximum of 15 overs per innings from next season.

That went through 21-8 but their proposals on the back of the ECB player survey that matches start half an hour earlier at 1.30pm and that they be 40 overs rather than 45 were rejected 12-13 and 7-19 respectively.

Also clubs will not be kicked out of the Craven League if they fail to fulfil six or more matches in a season (for 9, against 17), clubs will not be penalised an extra point for conceding matches (9-10) and the tea interval will not be extended to 30 minutes from 20 (11-16).

Meanwhile, a bid to bring in a simple majority for rule changes to be passed was rejected 8-13, so the two-thirds majority will remain in force.

However, umpires’ fees have gone up to £30 each if there are two panel umpires but remains at £55 if there is only one (26-1).