Bradford & Bingley officially open new ground (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Bradford & Bingley officially open new ground

4:30pm Friday 1st June 2012 in Bradford League By David Markham

Bradford & Bingley Cricket Club’s new ground will be officially opened tomorrow (noon), marking a significant step in the development of the club.

The pitch, which is across the river from the club’s main Wagon Lane ground alongside two rugby pitches, is being used by their third team, playing in the Mewies Solicitors Craven League, as well as an extra venue for junior matches.

It has been in use since the start of the season but the official opening was delayed until the land was fit for containers for changing rooms to be brought on site.

Bingley have had a third senior team for three years but they have had to play home matches away from the town – at Oakworth and Carleton-in-Craven – through lack of an extra pitch.

Chairman Peter Whitehead said: “The committee and members of the club are delighted that a second ground on the Wagon Lane site has at last been achieved.

“This enables us to have four senior teams, expand the present number of nine junior teams and to host more schools and social cricket so that the whole community is involved.

“More importantly, it forges a strong link in the development of juniors into adult cricket and keeps them in the game.

“We are grateful to both the rugby club and our parent sports club for their co-operation and encouragement and especially to our president Ian Morrall, without whose drive and leadership the new ground would have remained merely a pipedream.”