ANN COE has reiterated her call for the Mewies Solicitors Craven League to embrace change or risk dying a slow death.

In her report at the league's annual meeting, the league secretary warned clubs they must be pro-active if they want to survive.

She said: "Get the game on is the ECB's (England & Wales Cricket Board) initiative to keep us playing cricket. The concept is to get as much cricket played as is possible, providing it's safe to do so.

"They don't mean let's play in any weather; they are asking leagues to look at the product they provide and see if it's what their customers – the clubs and players – want.

"We joke in our league that we don't like change, and it's true we don't appear to. However, we have to change. I know I say this every year, one year I might just be listened to."

She added: "Your club is only as good as the opposition you play. You might be sitting comfortably with a well-maintained ground, have two or three senior teams, a vibrant junior section and a good pavilion, but if you don't have anybody to play of the same standard, what's the point?

"That's why I'm asking you to stop looking at your club and start viewing the league. We have several clubs with junior sections in the league, but we need more.

"Some clubs have fantastic plans for survival – look at Sutton and their new pavilion – while others just want to exist.

"Clubs have smaller plans – tidy up or renew what they have – but they have plans.

"It's the club who have a couple of people who care and players who just turn up to play, if they are lucky, that we need to focus on.

"It is not going to happen overnight – it could take seasons before a club sees the impact of their hard work.

"However, they will see it because they will still be here."

Coe said that times have changed since a small squad of players were capable of competing for a whole season, players took their holidays from Monday to Friday and didn't mind late finishes.

She said: "Where does it all start? It's with the players; if they are getting what they want they will turn up week in, week out to play for you.

"Gone are the days when you have a squad of players who will be there for 22 weeks.

"In the good old days, the players booked their holidays Monday to Friday. It was a badge of honour to say 'I've just driven all the way back from Cornwall to play today!'

"In those 'good old days', we didn't have many holidays abroad, not many people worked on a Saturday afternoon, wives appeared to understand that men went off to play cricket and put up with it, children often watched dad play and lads couldn't wait to get in the team.

"Family life wasn't a concept for discussion, because cricket ruled.

"Is this bringing back memories? Well now we can forget that and get back to today!

"If we don't give the cricketers what they want, they start doing other things – the worst of which I ever heard was 'going ice skating'."