CHURCH Fenton will have to wait until next season for the final of the Fred Fleetwood Cup after the Wetherby Cricket League confirmed the 2008 showcase will now be postponed until next year.
Heavy rain has wreaked havoc with the scheduling of the final which was rained off two weeks ago with St Chad’s halfway through their innings.
Since then more heavy rain has fallen on Spofforth’s School Lane ground, saturating the outfield and mak
ing conditions completely unplayable.
The league said they have been actively canvassing clubs in an attempt to find a ground and club able to stage the final.
Wetherby were approached but their ground like Spofforth’s was also waterlogged and a last ditch attempt to play it at Bramham was thwarted at the l1th hour.
With the added problems of player availability a week after the official end to the season and the reluctance of Fenton and St Chad’s to have a bowl out the league has now decided to arrange the final early into next season.
“I think it’s disappointing that they weren’t able to find a ground fit enough to play on,” said Church Fenton secretary Chris Horbury.
“Having said that they needed to get a decent ground and outfield together at short notice.
“There’s also the catering to get in place and that can be quite difficult too so we understand that.
“It looks like now it’s going to be the same teams but just early on in the season. It’s a shame because I don’t think it’s any secret that Adam Walton is leaving us.
“It would have been his last game for the club and would have been nice to go out with a win in the cup.
“That would have been the clean sweep for him. I think if he would have won that game he would have been the most successful captain in the clubs history.
“He’s been great for the club and we wish him all the best for the future.”
Fenton’s final fixture of the season on Saturday was washed out seeing them finish joint seventh with WETHERBY in the Division One table.
SPOFFORTH finished top of the pile two points adrift of the magic 100 barrier, KIRK DEIGHTON were runners-up, SICKLINGHALL sixth, SHADWELL and SCARCROFT ninth and tenth respectively.
Meanwhile WALTON will be joining them in the top flight next season after they confirmed their promotion on Saturday.
They finished in second spot behind St Chad’s with the two sides replacing Oulton and Kippax who were relegated from Division One.
The full article contains 449 words and appears in Wetherby News newspaper.
