A leading cricket official has criticised the players in his league for failing to behave.

Trevor Coe, fixture secretary of the Mewies Solicitors Craven & District League, used his address at their annual dinner to put his message across.

He said: “Let’s get the doom and gloom out of the way first.

“I know I stand here every year and tell you about disciplinary matters but, in my defence, the message doesn’t appear to get back to you (the players).

“So here I go again: A player banned for 12 matches; a club loses hosting the Wynn Cup final because of spectator abuse; a team walks off because of abuse levelled at its players – this results in the team who stayed on the field being awarded three points.

“However, they are deducted 15 points and fined £100, which leads to their relegation. No team had ever walked off during a game in the history of the league.

“An umpire pulls the stumps out of the ground and walks, accompanied by the fielding side with only three runs needed for victory.

“This happened in the Third Division where sides have their own umpires. If it had been allowed to stand we would have had anarchy next season if you think it through.

“The points were awarded to the non-offending team. The offending side lost their point they had initially been awarded and were fined £50.

“Four players thought it would be good fun to abuse an umpire – not at the same match I hasten to add. All received bans ranging from two matches to four matches.”

Coe, speaking at the Rendezvous Hotel in Skipton, urged players and clubs to remember that without umpires they would struggle to have a game.

“The disciplinary committee has again shown that it will back our umpires if there is a disciplinary problem,” he said.

“If players want to have a rest during the season, I suggest they go on holiday and don’t slag our umpires off.”