Three becomes one: Yorkshire Premier League North merger

Years ago, I made one of my crystal ball-gazing predictions that the landscape in Yorkshire club cricket would see much bigger leagues but less of them.

A decade on and that seems to have chimed true with the likes of the Yorkshire Cricket Southern Premier League and Yorkshire Premier League North now gigantic – and growing.

The Scarborough Beckett Cricket League’s member clubs have voted to amalgamate into Yorkshire Premier League North for 2025.

The vote was passed after an EGM vote on Thursday 5 September by either ballot box at Seamer Cricket Club or online.

The Proposed YPLN 2025 structure will see four Beckett divisions aligned to filter clubs up to Championship East.

At the moment, the Scarborough Beckett Cricket League is out on its own rather than as a feeder league in the overall club pyramid system.

According to the league’s public document, the aim is for 12 divisions based on geography to try to keep travel to a minimum. The new league will adopt YPLN rules which means 50 overs for Division 1 sides, 45 overs for Division 2 and 40 overs for the other two divisions.

York Vale Cricket League

There have also been agreement that York Vale Cricket League (YVL) teams will move across to join Yorkshire Premier League North too. As it stands, teams from the York Vale League would join Division Five with the champions and runners up going into Division Four.

There is already some crossover between clubs operating in both leagues and to accommodate some YVL teams who play on Sundays, there will be a new competition with ‘York Vale’ in its title, with other interested local teams.

Making the case to merge

Pre-vote, the Scarborough Beckett Cricket League statement said: “By going as a block, the provision of cricket is maintained for all existing SBCL clubs and teams at least for the first year of the merger. The NYPL is in a better financial and administrative position to manage YCB and ECB directives, current and future.”

It continued: “Amalgamation raises the ceiling for aspiring SPL Premier and Div 1 teams, where previously, they’ve had to leave.”

Interestingly, I understand some Scarborough Beckett Premier League clubs voted against the merger but there is now a pathway for those who want to play at a higher standard of cricket.

Is there a downside?

It’s hard to judge how the geography and travel times will play out over time. Even with the best intentions, especially after a few years of promotion and relegation, that might not always be advantageous to newcomers in the Yorkshire Premier League North.

But, you can’t please all of the people all of the time.

Nonetheless, the aim of this move, aside from consolidating everything under one roof for time-strapped league volunteers, is to try to cut down travel and localise where possible.

For those Northern outliers like Staithes and Mulgrave, a block move into the Yorkshire Premier League North won’t be as streamlined. I believe they would be expected to join the NYSD (North Yorkshire & South Durham Cricket League) if they were promoted. To be continued I imagine.

You could also make an argument for a league evolving itself (and retaining that history and sense of identify) rather than merging into another. Of course, you need the volunteers and the will to do that.

Running a cricket league must be a massive amount of time and effort. There is acknowledgment in the document I’ve seen circulated to clubs how the admin expected of leagues is only increasing.

That’s partly central admin passed down to leagues from the ECB’s strategic vision and also increased work involved in more disciplinary incidents happening that each need investigating.

Timetable for change

So, Scarborough Beckett League clubs have now voted for the move, along with the York Vale League, as three becomes one. It was also rubber-stamped by YPLN clubs with an extraordinary general meeting ballot.

Yorkshire Premier League North clubs would have sought reassurance (that the league has given) around no disadvantage over travel times, promotion or relegation by this restructure.

As it happens, it has been a revolutionary year or two for the league. The demise of the Wetherby League’s adult divisions led to an influx and there is already significant change for 2025 with the creation of a new Premier Division II.

Add in the absorption of two more leagues and the odd extra club here or there (Colton Institute and Arthington for 2025) and Yorkshire Premier League North is now officially huge.

Clubs will have a whole spectrum of ambitions, priorities, resources and ways that the league they’re in affects the cricket they deliver. Some will want to scoot up divisions, others will know they have found their level and that’s unlikely to change, whatever the name of the league.

It makes sense from an admin and logistical point of view but the challenge for these enormous leagues is ensuring everyone’s voice is heard, along with keeping member clubs happy. It’s just the way things have evolved but fewer volunteers running leagues now oversee much more cricket.

A footnote for the Scarborough Beckett Cricket League that all but disappears after itself absorbing the Derwent Valley League in 2016.

Congratulations to all those who won divisions and cups. Staxton, Sherburn and Cloughton all achieved league and cup doubles. In the York Vale League, Selby 3rd XI have won Division 1 (a round of games left on 14 September), while Wheldrake 2nd XI won Division 2.

So, it’s all change. 2025 is geared up to be another big year for club cricket in North and East Yorkshire.