JCT600 Bradford League executive chairman David Young is asking clubs to back the proposed merger between his league and the All Rounder Cricket Equipment Central Yorkshire League.

The news emerged last Friday afternoon at a press conference at Woodlands Cricket Club, and Young, who is also the league's treasurer, said: "We have been talking about the merger to Mark Heald (Central Yorkshire League chairman) for about three months, and the difficulties of operating as two leagues has become increasingly obvious.

"They want to protect their clubs (Methley and Birstall had already left them to join the Bradford League for the 2016 season) and coming together was the solution for everyone."

While the Central Yorkshire League's board have already approved the merger, Bradford League clubs will vote yes or no at an extraordinary general meeting on Thursday, August 27 at Pudsey Congs.

However, because of the Bradford League's move towards becoming an ECB Premier League prior to the proposed merger, the top division will be known as the Bradford Premier League from 2016, regardless of whether the merger is approved or not.

Young added: "Only one Premier League is allowed in West Yorkshire, and it is a shame that the Huddersfield League did not want to be involved.

"But the fact that we can have 22-game seasons if the merger goes ahead means that we can get away from Sunday league cricket, which some Bradford League Division Two clubs don't like as they find it difficult to raise sides."

The proposal is for the top flight to be all-Bradford League clubs in 2016, taking into account regular promotion and relegation between the First Division and Second Division, and for two regionalised Championships divisions below that consisting of Bradford League and Central Yorkshire League clubs.

The winners of each of those divisions would be promoted as long as they met set criteria, while a third and fourth tier would be Central Yorkshire League Conference One and Conference Two, with the winners of Conference One being promoted as long as criteria are met, with two up, two down between the divisions.

The championship divisions would play four inter-divisional fixtures to make up the 22-game season but that spare capacity could eventually be filled by clubs from the Foster's Halifax League, while the Huddersfield Central League could feed into the Conference Second Division.

Young added: "We have decided to regionalise the Championship divisions in the new format as Keighley to Methley is a fair trek.

"Bradford League clubs could not be relegated from the Championship division until after the 2020 season unless they want to because they are struggling or fail to meet criteria but the two Conference divisions will be all-amateur.

"If it goes through, there will be an identical structure for second teams but there is a move there towards playing 40 overs per side rather than 50.

"In terms of a radius for future applicants to the Bradford League, we would draw it from Cleckheaton Town Hall."

* All matches in Bradford League Division Two and the Quaid-e-Azam League on Sunday were abandoned without a ball being bowled due to rain.