Farsley secretary Nigel Thornton wants the JCT600 Bradford League to look into forming a section for third teams on Sundays.

The Aire-Wharfe League already run a successful third-team section on the Sabbath, and several Bradford League clubs already run third teams in other leagues.

For example, Baildon have third, fourth and fifth teams in the Dales Council League, while Pudsey Congs and Pudsey St Lawrence also have third and fourth teams in there.

Farsley too run a third team in the league, and Undercliffe debuted their third team there this season, while Bradford & Bingley started off their third team in Craven League Division Five in 2009.

Thornton said: “I have nothing against the Dales Council League, but you want people to play good cricket on good pitches.

“We would only need about ten teams because you would only want a 16 or 18-game season and it could be an important stepping stone for under-17s into senior cricket.

“My son Robert, for example, played in the first season of the third-team league in the Aire-Wharfe.

“He played a bits and bobs role for Farsley on the Saturday but if he didn’t get a bowl there then he knew he would play a fuller part in the game on the Sunday for Calverley’s third team.”

Farsley’s third team currently play their matches at Sandoz Sports Ground at Rodley but Thornton added: “We want to maximise the use of our main ground at Red Lane by playing more matches on a Sunday.

“I feel that under-17 cricket is on the wane and third-team cricket could be a way of keeping these youngsters involved in the sport.”

Bradford & Bingley’s representative David Markham said; “We have given play to 28 cricketers in our first season in Craven League Division Five.”