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It isnt very often that we share the home page with other sports, but  the giant killing performance at Stamford Bridge on Saturday 24th January when BRADFORD CITY  showed CHELSEA  the exit door from the FA Cup, cannot go unmentioned.  Well done to the BANTAMS!!!!  As for the soothsayer in the Club on Friday evening who was suggesting they would get 'hammered' -- Oh you of little faith!

And so back to Cricket matters

Historians will tell you that 2015 marks the 800th Anniversary of King John applying the Royal Seal to Magna Carta at Runnymede.   Equally so, local Historians will also point out that this particular year, also celebrates the 150th anniversary of the founding of       East Bierley Cricket Club, and the occasion will not be allowed to go by without various celebrations being made. Some will take the form of one off events whilst others may last somewhat longer.

The longest event will of course be the cricket season itself, and whilst on the subject of cricket, this will be supplemented with a first for EBCC, when Yorkshire Under 19s  entertain MCC in a Two Day game at South View Road on Tuesday and Wednesday,                   the    14/15 July, with play starting on both days at 11-00 am.

There is also a book being produced recording  many of the notable events and personalities through those 150 years and just to let you know that its not too late  to get your, or your grandparents, or indeed a friend of a friends memories recorded for posterity. Just contact the Secretary initially and he will point you in the right direction.

 Watch this space for further happenings, including a competition to name the Team of all time at EBCC. Further details of that to follow soon

Player Movements for 2015

 As is the case with most clubs, there are coming and goings at the conclusion of seasons and we at East Bierley are no exception to that.

Moving on, at this moment are Tabbi Bhatti, Kez Ahmed and overseas player, Muhammad Irshad.
 Also stepping aside due to work committments and a series of niggling injuries, is Andrew Rennison. We would like to thank them all for their services whilst at EBCC and wish them well for the future.

 Coming in to join the club are James Ford wicket keeper/ batsman from Baildon, Matthew Lumb, opening bowler from Farsley, Danish Hussain, a young  upcoming player from Sheffield United and overseas Haziq Habibullah who is an off spin bowler and left handed batsman.

First Team Captain 2015 Named

It has been announced that Dan Shuffe will lead the First Eleven for the coming season with Gavin Hamilton as Vice Captain

Premier League  - One Step nearer

At a meeting of all JCT 600 Bradford Cricket League chairman, it was decided by 20 votes to 1 to go ahead with an application  to become a member of an ECB Premier League for the Bradford Cricket League First Division that will see four Leagues within Yorkshire formed to provide the County with a   forward thinking pyramid system. East Bierley chairman, Phil McKirgan attended the meeting and makes the following observations.

 There was plenty of lively discussion and quite a few as yet unanswered questions, especially around the details of Feeder Leagues and promotion & relegation, but these details are all to be worked out and announced by 28th February.

There was some understandable concern among 2nd division Clubs that they could be left high & dry, but the League assured us this wouldn't happen.
The exact criteria Clubs will have to meet to be eligible for the Premier League have not been specified yet, but these will be based on the ones used for the North Yorks / South Durham League  . Size of ground is not a consideration. A Junior section is required, but there is no stipulation as to number of teams or age ranges.

Steve Archer (Cricket Development Manager West Yorkshire YCB) reiterated that Clubmark is seen as a key basic requirement and it is important to use the Development Plan aspect of it to identify areas where future funding might be needed - Clubs applying for funding will be in a much stronger position if they have Clubmark and they have a previously identified development need related to the funding request which has been discussed with the League and ECB. There is an unprecedented amount of support being brought to bear on this proposal from Yorkshire and the ECB, and the League regard it as a once in a lifetime opportunity.

It is possible that accreditation as a Premier League by the ECB might slip from 2016 to 2017, just because the wheels turn slowly, but if so the intention is to play under the proposed structure anyway.

National Village Champions, 35 years on

 Saturday 22 November 2014, saw around 80 supporters and players get together in the clubhouse at South View Road to share and remember that magnificent day 35 years ago, when, after toiling through 9 rounds of cup tie cricket, including one tie that had to be abandoned due to Snow, travel to the home of Cricket, Lords, for the Final of the Whitbreads National Village Trophy and come home champions.

Those players of the day, not only formed the first team to bring this prestigeous trophy back to Yorkshire, but were the catalyst that heralded a new era of cricket at the club and saw EBCC move from being a small local village cricket club, to one which became known both nationally and internationally, and develope into one that was to  reach heights that before they could only dream of.

Gordon Simpson explains to Captain Phil Taylor(right) exactly where the ball and bails have been these last 35 years and below Phil says "Hello" to an old friend that he took 3 wickets with!

More to follow...........................