Raft of changes agreed as North Yorkshire South Durham Cricket league 'moves with the times'

AS part of the ceaseless campaign to ensure cricket survives in the 21st century, the North Yorkshire and South Durham League has approved several rule changes for next season.

If they hardly amount to a revolution they are further evidence of the willingness of the recreational game to accept new ideas.

The NYSD, once hidebound by a Victorian structure, has been a pioneering force in recent years.

“It is recognised that the game has to move with the times,” said Barnard Castle’s chairman, David Sparrow, who cast the club’s votes at the league’s annual meeting.

“Not every proposal was approved but there was general agreement that we have to make the game attractive for playing to a modern generation.

“Cricket can take a whole day and young people have lots of other things to do.”

The most notable change is the introduction of a loan system between clubs. It means that those clubs who are struggling for players for one or more teams on a Saturday can turn for help to rivals where players may otherwise be denied a game.

This is unlikely to affect Barnard Castle, simply because of the distances involved, and the club already has informal arrangements with village sides, Middleton and Barningham.

Other amendments include fielding restrictions in the top two divisions after their introduction in the Premier Division last season was deemed successful.

All cup competitions, except for the Kerridge Cup, the oldest club knockout competition in the world, will be played over 20 overs. This is a sign of the times and perhaps also suggesting that all league cricket in a few years will be of the short form variety. Up until 20 years ago most NYSD cup competitions were played over 28 overs a side and regularly finished in the dark at 10pm.

To try to retain a semblance of what was, the Kerridge will be played over 40 overs on Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays.

The changes are perhaps most marked in the lower divisions, where teams regularly have difficulties in fielding 11 players. Matches in divisions three and four and the Sunday divisions will be restricted to a maximum of 80 overs with bowlers allowed a maximum of ten each.

The structure of Sunday league cricket has been altered with two divisions becoming three, each of eight clubs, with a Premier and two regional conference divisions.

A change in the points system will see batting points awarded for every 45 runs scored up to a maximum of five in the top three divisions and for every 40 runs in Divisions Three, Four and Sunday.

But a proposal was defeated to introduce Duckworth Lewis in rain-affected matches, although it seems much fairer to both sides.

Rockliffe Park, until recently one of the mightiest clubs in the Darlington and District League, have now switched all their teams to the NYSD.

“We are aware that we have to keep pace with the times,” said Mr Sparrow.

“I would imagine there will be other changes in the years ahead. Barney remains in very robust health but we know that cricket in general faces several challenges, which go well beyond even England’s wretched performances so far in the Ashes.”