THE HUGELY popular Upper Airedale Junior Cricket Association Festival takes place this Sunday at Sandylands, Skipton, with once again 30 teams in action at under-9, under-11 and under-13 levels.

2016 sees a team entry from ‘First Cricket’, a team from Lincolnshire, managed by former England Ladies star, Arran Brindle, who learned her cricket at Thornton-in-Craven. There are also entries for the first time from Bradford & Bingley.

The UAJCA is massively proud that its band of Yorkshire county players continues to grow, with the latest additions being Elliot Robinson (Cullingworth) and Jake Keslinke (Oakworth), both at under-10 level. They join Tom Mawer and Nathan Storton (both Oxenhope), James Robinson and Max Harrison (Bradley), Will Luxton (Steeton) James Mukherjee, Joseph Holderness and Owen West (Skipton) in representing the White Rose.

UAJCA has high hopes that this number may be further swelled by under-9s once results of the on-going trials are confirmed.

Despite a few days poor weather in late May, many Upper Airedale Junior League fixtures have been played.

However this season has been further blighted by a number of teams withdrawing from the competitions after the season’s start and by others struggling to field sufficient players.

The first ever final in the new under-9s cup will be held at Skipton CC on June 26 (9:30am) and this will be followed by the Barritt-Stephenson Cup for under-11s, while the under-15s Raleigh Hargreaves Memorial Cup is at 2:30pm on the same day.

For under-13s, the John Hindle Memorial Cup semi-finals on Monday (June 20) are Wharfedale v Embsay and Steeton v Oakworth for a place in the final at Denholme on July 3 (10am). The William Spencer Memorial Cup final for under-17s follows at 2pm.