THE CRAVEN & District Cricket League have put back the start of their season by a week due to the wet weather.

Their 2018 campaign was due to start on Saturday, April 21 but clubs are struggling to get their grounds fit in time.

Riddlesden, Airedale and Haworth Road are among those to have contacted the league to outline the difficulties they are having in light of the heavy rain and snow of recent weeks.

The executive committee made the decision at their monthly meeting last night to put the season opener back to Saturday, April 28.

That follows the call made by the Aire-Wharfe League, whose season was due to start this weekend, to delay their start by a week.

Craven League games scheduled for April 21 have now been moved to Sunday, May 20. If clubs are unable to play on this date then Playing Rule 31 in relation to the non-fulfilment of fixtures will apply.

The first round of the Wynn Cup is due to take place on Sunday, May 13. Any matches which do not get played on that day will be played on Sunday, May 27, when a result will be expected to be achieved.

The winter weather has not just been causing problems at grassroots level.

Yorkshire's friendly programme since returning from their pre-season tour in South Africa has been largely curtailed.

Their first action on home soil did not happen until yesterday in a warm-up game at Leicester, with the County Championship season due to start against Essex on Friday.