THE ENCO Halifax League is to undergo a major restructure ahead of the 2025 season.

Currently the league’s three sections contain 12 clubs in both the Premier Division and Division Two and eight teams in Division One.

However, after complaints from the middle division about playing opponents three times in a campaign, the league’s executive committee have opted for 12 teams in both the Premier Division and Division One for 2025 and eight teams in Division Two.

This will mean that at least three clubs will be promoted from the bottom division after the 2024 season, but that number could rise to four or five.

The indeterminate factors at the moment are whether either Bradley & Colnebridge form a second XI or Stainland form a first XI - or both could expand.

The news was relayed at the league’s pre-season meeting at Pellon Social Club, with league secretary Tim Helliwell saying: “A lot of the middle division clubs are unhappy at playing each other three times (a season) and even playing a club two games running.

“For 2025 we will have 12, 12 and eight, with Division Two clubs playing each other three times.”

As no clubs have yet made an application to join the league for 2025, Helliwell and his committee are assuming that they will have the same number of teams, although that would depend on if either Bradley & Colnebridge form a second XI or the returning Stainland form a first XI.

It could be that as many as five teams are promoted from Division Two at the end of the 2024 campaign.

Helliwell added that prospects for play on the opening weekend of the season - Saturday, April 20 and Sunday, April 21 - were not good as some clubs have not been able to get machinery on their outfield yet or roll and cut the square due to the wet weather.

Clubs were asked to email the league by Sunday evening (April 14) about the condition of their ground so that the league knows where they stand.

A decision about April 20 and 21 will then be made by the league’s executive committee on Monday, April 15.

If the games on the first weekend are postponed wholesale then they will be re-arranged for the third weekend in September (21 and 22), but if games are called off on the second weekend of April 27 and 28 normal points will apply for cancellations.

Helliwell also reminded clubs about slow over rates and that clubs were encouraged to bowl their 45 overs in 2hr 45min or under.

Any club that fails to do that will be reported by the umpire or umpires to the league’s executive committee, who could impose sanctions.

He also stated that the league’s T20 group days will be on Sunday, June 23 and not, as stated in the league’s yearbook, Sunday, June 16, which is Fathers’ Day.

After their successful recruitment campaign, which has been going for two winters, the league now have 75 umpires, a vast improvement on the 49 that they had before.