THREE new clubs were admitted to the Bradford Junior League at their annual meeting at Cleckheaton Sports Club.

They are former members Girlington, who will play at under-15 level, Drighlington, who are rebuilding their junior section, and Northowram Fields, who have an excess of under-15 players.

The most contentious of the five rule changes that were passed was the additional rule on representative cricket – and particularly the paragraph relating to those who play for Yorkshire's junior teams.

It states: "Players who are selected to play for Yorkshire at any age-group level will not be selected for a Bradford Junior League team during the time they remain a member of a Yorkshire squad.

"This rule is in place to maximise the opportunities for BJCL (Bradford Junior Cricket League) players to represent the league."

One club representative felt it was unfair that really young players would be denied the opportunity to play in the Bradford Junior League because they had been selected, for example, for Yorkshire under-11s.

The proposed rule change was passed 16-3, while another proposal by the junior league executive committee that was passed was the rule preventing juniors from playing for their club in the morning before representative matches in the afternoon.

That rule, which has been brought in for child welfare reasons, was passed 17-2, with offending clubs now fined £5 and deducted four points or more as felt fit by the executive committee.

The league will now commence on the first available dates in May and finish on the last available dates in July (passed 12-8).

But Bolton Villas' attempts to have under-13 batsmen retire on 25 and not return to the wicket and under-15 batsmen retire on 30 and not return to the wicket were defeated 10-11 (chairman's casting vote) and 6-14 respectively.

Villas' proposed rule changes to have all boundaries in under-15 matches be worth four runs and bowlers' run-ups limited to eight yards in under-11 and under-13 matches were also defeated 8-13, 9-11 and 8-9 respectively.

But they were successful in having a loan system approved from a club that does not have a team at that specific age group (passed 12-5).