BRADFORD club Westwood Park have made huge strides in recent years with a new ground at Horton Bank Top on the old Westwood Hospital site, and progress from the Bradford Mutual Sunday School League to the Central Yorkshire League, but that has come to an abrupt halt with their resignation from the All Rounder Cricket Equipment Central Yorkshire League.

Financial constraints, lack of players and volunteers for the off-field work necessary to sustain the club at their existing level have been cited as the reasons for this decision.

However, they are determined to continue, and a re-grouping process is already underway.

Saturday sees the start of a Premier Division season with the added interest of five teams pressing for admission to the new South Yorkshire Premier League for 2016.

Mirfield Parish Cavaliers, fourth last season, did not apply but they can still upset the prospects of one of those that did when they entertain Townville.

But the pick of the remaining games is at Leeds Road between Birstall and Batley.

Batley won the first XI Championship by 17 points last season, in contrast to Birstall’s season-long struggle at the wrong end of the Premier Division table, and an early shock could be on the cards.

Also promoted to the top flight were Buttershaw St Paul’s but they are facing a stern test at an experienced Ossett side.

Ossett finished fifth last season and had the league's top batsman in Shoaib Latif.

The main interest in the opening-day Championship fixtues will be at Roberttown Lane, where Liversedge and Northowram Fields, the 2014 joint third-placed clubs, meet, while Birstall side Crossbank Methodists make their league debut in Division One when they go to East Leeds.

Mirfield, who took the league's wooden spoon without a win in their first year back last season, will be hoping for better things this time and open their campaign at Adwalton, who fared little better, winning only once.