Stalybridge Cricket Club have been forced to resign from the Cheshire County League due to a lack of players. Already without a 2nd XI, the club were down to just 17 playing members and it was decided that those 17 were not of sufficient strength to justify putting out a 1st XI in the First Division of the Cheshire County League.

The demise of Stalybridge is particularly worrying in the light of the Cheshire County League's position as one of the first of the ECB's Premier Leagues. A minor counties ground just a few short years ago, Stalybridge have leaked players since the decision by the club in 1993 to move into the Cheshire County League and out of the more locally based Lancashire & Cheshire League. With travelling time increased due to frequent trips to the Wirral area, the ECB's insistence on a longer game of cricket and the County League's bar on professionalism, many of their better players have preferred to move to local clubs in leagues with less travelling and with more lenient rules with regard to the payment of players.

Club Chairman Ken Wilkinson is adamant, however, that the club will re-group and join a new league in the near future, either lower down in the Cheshire Pyramid, or one of the numerous leagues that abound in the Greater Manchester area. He has already received many offers of help, including a proposal of a merger with nearby Hyde and from the Saddleworth League, who have offered Stalybridge the chance to fill blank dates in their fixture list. Moreover, the club's under 15 section will continue to play at the ground.

Whilst junior cricket at club level appears to be flourishing, the lack of players at senior level is very worrying. Stalybridge's situation mirrors almost exactly the position of Stockport Cricket Club, who were forced to resign from the Central Lancashire League at the start of the season and amalgamate with Stockport Sunday School of the Derbyshire & Cheshire League through lack of players.

Cheshire County League champions for the last three seasons, Bowdon, have lost the services of two of their senior players already this season due to work commitments. The 120-over Premier League matches, the consequent early start and early travelling time are the causes because the pair have to work on Saturday mornings. Clearly, in the short term at least, Premier League cricket could have a devastating effect on the standard of cricket played.

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