KEIGHLEY Cricket Club are set to give beleaguered captain Scott Etherington a chance to help them back into Division One of the Bradford Premier League.

Second-tier safety was on the horizon for Keighley back in August, but they had a 30-point deduction hanging over them for repeated ill-discipline.

And when Etherington was penalised by the umpires in a late-season game at Gomersal for "persistent and prolonged challenging of their decisions and the liberal use of profanities when doing so", that was the final straw.

Keighley lost those 30 points, as well as another eight they had accrued from that game already, though no fine was handed down to them.

That, combined with a damaging defeat to relegation rivals East Ardsley in their next match, put them in trouble, and they eventually fell through the trapdoor on the final day, when they would have survived without that points deduction.

Etherington was banned by the club for their final three games of the season, but according to former chairman and current committee member Paul Barker, he is set to return in time for their Division Two opener next year.

Barker said: "As far as we're concerned, we've drawn a line in the sand.

"It was all about the league's investigation, they've done what they have done, so there's nothing further from Keighley Cricket Club.

"Scott remains a Keighley player at this point in time, and we hope he will stay."

But Barker added: "We don't know yet where we're at with things regarding the captaincy.

"I'd suspect we'd be looking at a new captain for next year, but as it stands, Scott remains a Keighley player and I'm sure he wants to try and help get the club back up immediately."

Bradford Premier League CEO Alan Birkinshaw confirmed that the matter had been left in Keighley's hands once the league had handed down their own punishment in August, and that they had nothing further to say on the matter.

In further bad news for Keighley, one of their star players has departed, though some new signings are on the horizon.

Barker said: "Unfortunately, we've lost James Massheder, our leg-spinner, who's gone to (Premier Division) Bankfoot.

"But we are in the process of signing Wasim Hussain from Crossflatts, who was the second best bowler in Division Two last year. He should replace James as our frontline spinner.

"We're also looking to bring in Amjid Hussain from Saltaire, and we're still talking to two or three others."

Keighley look likely to stick with a similar squad for their second team, who, as part of the club's punishment, were also deducted points, costing them promotion.

Barker said: "Even after they had lost their points, the seconds still had a chance of going up.

"But everyone at the club was feeling deflated, and then a few of the second team lads couldn't play in their final few games so it ended disappointingly.

"Other than James, at this moment, we have maintained the squad though.

"So, with a couple of additions (to the firsts), we should be in a good position to bounce back immediately."

Amid the chaos, Keighley's third XI, captained by Barker, won promotion.

He beamed: "It was a bright light in what wasn't a good season.

"We have five or six young kids in that team, all Under-13s and Under-15s, which is what third team cricket is all about, junior development."