The Bradford Central League have decided to leave any decision on their constitution for 2008 until the winter.

"There are too many variables," admited league president Alan Parkinson at their latest committee meeting at Laisterdyke Cricket Club.

With Norwood Green wanting to get into the Bradford League, Wibsey Park Chapel moving towards entry into the Halifax League and Hepworth & Idle in correspondence with the Central Yorkshire League, it would be difficult for the league to opt for one format over another, and several proposals are on the table.

One option is playing each other three times per season, while another avenue is Alistair Hastings' proposal to allow one-team clubs into the league (clubs currently must have two teams to join).

However, the league have decided that putting first teams up against second teams in a 14-team league would not be a good idea.

In this climate of uncertainty, Girlington have become the latest club to request permission to talk to other leagues, although they couldn't move before the start of the 2009 season.

As for any clubs moving in the opposite direction before the beginning of 2008 - the league's centenary season - Parkinson said: "We would love to have an eighth club but we have to work on the basis that we have seven clubs."

Merger talks with other leagues have been mentioned by various people but BT (Bradford)'s Barry Lamb said: "A merger with another league is a no-no at the moment because we are in a position of weakness.

"Maybe other leagues will be in a similar position to ours in the future."

Oner thing Lamb was in favour of was a properly-structured league hierarchy within Bradford.

He said: "We need a proper pyramid structure for cricket in the city."

Lamb is also a big advocate of Twenty20 cricket and, although he has received a lukewarm response in terms of filling in any blank dates in next season's fixtures with the shortened version of the game, he remains optimistic that a Twenty20 competition will form a large part of the league's centenary celebrations.

It is also a possibility that clubs from outside the league - possibly former members - would be invited to play in it.

Parkinson said: "We need to know whether clubs want more 45 overs-a-side cricket or more Twenty20 cricket."