Mirfield Parish Cavaliers have been promoted to the Huddersfield Cricket League Premiership after securing the Championship title.
The club has had two consecutive promotions to Huddersfield’s top flight, immediately followed by two relegations but chairman Ben Tillotson is confident the team can stay up next year and make it third time lucky.
Ben said: “The players have been magnificent all year and nearly went a whole season winning every game. That was until our game with Denby was abandoned which ended up with us sharing the points.
“Our batsman Mohammed Suleman accidentally collided with Denby’s wicketkeeper Poorna Lakmina Shanuka Prangige and left him with a broken jaw. We of course wish him well in his recovery, it was a complete accident.
“On the season overall I can’t praise the lads enough, they played some great cricket at times.”
On wanting to stay up next year he said: “Our aim is clear, do something we haven’t been able to do in the two times previously. I trust these lads to be able to do that. Yes, we may add to the squad, but a lot of these lads were here before so know what it is about.
“We have bounced back, which we needed to, and that is to everyone’s credit. We are a proud club and to have won the Championship is great, but staying up next year will be a bigger achievement.
“I think the Premiership has been the hardest ever this year because it’s been a real fight to stay in it with three coming down. However I think the standard will be on another level next year. It will be so hard to stay up but we’ll go in and give our best.”
Ben is delighted his childhood friend Tom Fretwell will continue to captain the club next season.
He added: “Tom has done a magnificent job and I’m pleased to confirm he’ll be captain again. We want to build the club up together and work in unison and so far so good. The club is on a real up and everyone is excited about what we can achieve next year.”
