New league format confirmed at Derwent Valley AGM

The resignation of Kirkbymoorside from the Readers Scarborough Beckett Cricket League premier division earlier this month caused a re-shuffle, with several teams in that league surviving relegation and Muston moving up from the Derwent Valley League,

This in turn saw Nawton Grange 2nds promoted from the original 11-team division B to leave two divisions of 10, and this was rubber-stamped at the meeting at Ayton Sports Association.

The member clubs voted in favour of a rule stating that clubs failing to fulfill a fixture would be docked 10 points rather than the previous five points.

This was an alteration to the original rule change proposed by Snainton which suggested teams should be docked a further 10 points each time they called a game off, ie 20 points for their second forfeiture, then 30 for their third, and so on.

The clubs voted in favour of all the rule changes proposed by the league committee.

Matches will now start at the later time of 2pm as opposed to 1.30pm, while adult player loans and non-registered players will also be allowed in the league from this season.

The Atlas Ward Structures Cup for division A te ams only will now be called the Severfield Cricket Cup as Atlas Ward of Sherburn are now known as Severfield.

The Murray Brown & Son Cup has now become the division B cup, which means the Welford Cup has reverted to a similar format to its original rules, with each player apart from the wicketkeeper having to bowl two overs each in the 20-over format, and batsmen having to retire at 40.

The league president Chester Brown then handed out the league individual awards for 2014.

Derwent Valley League individual awards

Division A batting award - Andy Dixon (Flamborough) - 408 runs

Division A bowling award - Harry Burton (Flamborough) - 27 wickets

Division A catching award - Rob Stead (Lockton) - 11 catches

Division A wicketkeeping award - Andy Dixon (Flamborough)

Division B batting award - James Ward (Wold Newton 2nds) - 269 runs

Division B bowling award - Howard Mudd (Kirkbymoorside 2nds) - 23 wickets

Division B catching award - Johnathan Maw (Snainton) - seven catches

Division B wicketkeeping award - Paul Nicholson (Snainton) - nine victims

Division C batting award - Joel Sarup (Ganton 2nds) - 360 runs

Division C bowling award - John Ellis (T Dale 2nds) - 26 wickets

Division C catching award - Steve Johnson (Valley Bar Nomads) - 11 catches

Division C wicketkeeping award - Andy Bloomfield (Ravenscar 2nds) - nine victims.

The member clubs also observed a minute’s silence before the meeting to pay their respects to people connected to local cricket who had passed away in the previous 12 months.

Derwent Valley League formation for 2015 season

Division A: Lockton, Forge Valley 3rds, Hospitals/Rugby Club, Sewerby 3rds, Flixton 3rds, Wold Newton 2nds, Kirkbymoorside, Filey 2nds, Sherburn 2nds, Nawton Grange 2nds.

Division B: Snainton, Cayton 3rds, Scalby 3rds, Muston 2nds, Ravenscar 2nds, Valley Bar Nomads, Wykeham 3rds, Thornton Dale 2nds, Ganton 2nds, Forge Valley 4ths.