Cullingworth make their case to join Halifax League (From Keighley News)

Cullingworth make their case to join Halifax League

12:00pm Thursday 7th February 2013 in Sport By Bill Marshall

Cullingworth have explained their reasons for wanting to leave the Craven League.

The Roydwood Terrace club have applied to join the Halifax League for the 2014 season and club chairman Steve Welch was part of their presentation to their league meeting at Pellon Social Club on Tuesday.

He said: “We don’t think that the Craven League match the ambition that we have as a club.

“We also think that the cricket in the Halifax League will be better.”

Cullingworth won the Craven League championship in 2007, 2008 and 2009 and have lifted the Wynn Cup four times, including last season.

Club secretary Iain Wilson talked of ground improvements, saying: “In the last five years we have spent heavily on resurfacing the new car park, installing new toilets, a boiler and showers and refurbishing the bar.”

Welch also stressed the community aspect of the club and the willingness of players and administrators to help out.

He added: “The first team is very competitive but off the pitch we are very sociable.

“The second team hasn’t always been as competitive but over the past four years we have started to mature and develop, and in the last two years we have introduced some of our juniors to senior cricket.”

Phil Poole junior, joint coach of Cullingworth Cobras under-11s, said: “We have teams at under-nines, 11s, 13s and 15s, and last year we had two 14-year-olds in the first team, five juniors representing Yorkshire and over ten lads in the league or Bradford Schools’ junior sides.”

The Halifax League will make a decision on the applications of both Cullingworth and Bradford Mutual Sunday School League side Great Horton Church for the 2014 season at their April meeting.