Halifax League club Stainland folds

Stainland CC, who have been in existence for 130 years and were founded members of the Halifax Cricket League in 1914, have folded.
Stainland Cricket Club's ground.Stainland Cricket Club's ground.
Stainland Cricket Club's ground.

The decision was communicated by email to league secretary Neil Myers today and follows a couple of crisis meetings over the last two days.

Stainland have been unable to raise a second team for their first two matches of the season in Division Two, at home to Bridgeholme on April 19 and at Bradshaw last Saturday.

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Club secretary Kevin Hutchinson met members of the league’s executive at Queensbury on Monday and Stainland held a meeting themselves last night.

Myers said: “Having reviewed their playing resources, they told us they were unlikely to be able to raise a second team at all this year.

“They then had a meeting yesterday and a decision was made to dissolve the club.”

Stainland had an influx of players from the former Badger Hill club a couple of years ago but it is believed some of those have now left and injuries and retirements have taken a further toll on the playing membership.

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Myers said the results and statistics from Stainland’s two first team games this season would be wiped from the record and their players would be free to join other clubs.

“The Yorkshire Cricket Association will be informed and the league executive’s will review the fixtures situation,” he added.

Myers said it was a sad day for Stainland and the league.

“We have sympathy for the players and community in Stainland.

“We are also grateful to the club for grasping the nettle early in the piece and making a decision before the reputation of a fine club became sullied.”

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Stainland’s first team finished sixth in the bottom division last season and their seconds came seventh in the parallel division.

While success has been scarce in recent years, Stainland were prolific winners of the Parish Cup in the early 20th century, lifting the trophy in 1901, 1908, 1922, 1933 and 1935.

Although the ground is owned and controlled by Calderdale Council, cricket looks likely to continue there with Barkisland juniors, Huddersfield College and academy sides from the Cricket Asylum in Sowerby Bridge currently staging matches there.

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