A NEW-LOOK committee are bidding to revive Keighley Cricket Club.

The All Rounder Cricket Bradford Premier League club, who haven't been in the top flight since 2006, are starting the new season in the third tier – Championship B Division.

New club chairman Paul Barker said: "Keighley is a big town (in Bradford League terms) and we are a big club – we were formed in 1848.

"There is a lot to be done – it may cost £40,000-£50,000 – but we have a five-year plan to improve the clubhouse, changing rooms and terracing, get the club more known in the town, get it used more often and get it back to where it belongs.

"We want to offer a high level of cricket to the people of Keighley and it would be great to see more people down at the ground on a Saturday throughout the summer to support the team.

"We are seeking local sponsorship, and various packages are available, with more information on the club website.|

"Some of the old guard, who were in their seventies, have gone from the committee, although Edgar Bottomley, who is president, is in his 90s, and we have tried to bring the average age down by using more 30 and 40-year-olds."

Also on the committee following the recent annual meeting are Nigel Allsop (treasurer), Jo Walker (secretary), Bottomley snr and general committee members Peter Roberts, Rory Robinson, Allan Birkett, Stuart Bottomley (Edgar's son), David Ash and Roy Towler.

Barker explained: "We want to improve things on and off the pitch, and the clubhouse and changing rooms were starting to look tired, while the terracing is dangerous.

"We also want to improve disabled access.

"We have applied for several grants and we held a beer festival last October and we will do the same again next winter, while we also plan to have a band night and a race night as part of regular events at the club.

"Our annual turnover is low so we also want to get more footfall through our doors – CAMRA are already holding meetings at Keighley Cricket Club – and improve our social media profile on Facebook and Twitter.

"For example, some people have lived in Keighley all of their lives and don't even know that we exist."

Barker added: "We have a strong junior set up – our under-15s and under-17s were champions last season – but we want to form an under-nines team and a ladies' team.

"We already have a reputation for attracting local talent from such as the Craven League."

Andrew Wear has been confirmed as first-team captain for this season, having done the job temporarily last summer, while second-team captain will be committee member Rory Robinson.

Keighley also hope to sign an Australian batsman as their overseas player, while closer to home they have signed Adam Smith from Oakworth and opening bowler Nathan Storton from Oxenhope.

Barker added: "Nathan has already played for our under-17s, while our juniors, who played for us in 2016, are a year older."

The Lawkholme Lane club finished second from bottom in last year's Championship A Division with 129 points, which meant that now the structure is linear rather than parallel, they now find themselves in the third tier rather than the second tier.

Although they have finished high up in the Second Division of the two-tier structure before the Bradford League merged with the Central Yorkshire League, they hadn't been close to being promoted back to the First Division since 2007, when they were two points behind second-placed Esholt.

Keighley have been Bradford League champions twice (1919, 1946), Priestley Cup winners five times (1921, 1932, 1935, 1948, 1961) and runners-up twice (1952, 1984).

They won the Second Division title in 1929, 1941 and 1966 and won the Bradford League's Albert Smith Spirit of Cricket award in 2010.