Spen Victoria, who need a miracle to stay in Division One of the SDS Bradford League, have already secured a major 'signing' for next season.

Their former Yorkshire pace bowler Chris Elstub, who was widely expected to leave Spen Lane at the end of the current campaign, is staying.

"Chris has been receiving offers all season from inside and outside the league," says Spen's league representative Alan Birkinshaw, "and could have gone to almost any club in the league. He has done well to stay focused.

"He is the best English bowler in the league, along with Pudsey Congs' Neil Gill, and we are delighted to be keeping him, but we are still thinking about the rest of the team."

Birkinshaw said the news about Elstub did not necessarily mean that Spen would be doing without an overseas player next season.

Indian Dhruv Mohan, who has now returned to the sub-continent, hardly set Division One alight in 2005, recording only one half-century.

But Birkinshaw said: "We haven't definitely decided not to have an overseas player, although that is an option."

Bottom club Spen are 14 points away from safety with just three matches left, and he added: "We have only won one match so far this season, so to win our remaining three games would be a miracle."

Playing in Division Two would be a sizeable fall from from grace for Spen, who were Division One runners-up behind Pudsey Congs in 2003. And last season, when they had to cope without overseas player Rao Anjum for the whole campaign, they only secured their place in the top-flight on the last day at Mirfield.

This season Spen have often had to field five or six under-18 players in their side after the close-season loss of John Wood, his brother Ian and Kez Ahmed to rivals Cleckheaton, who they face tomorrow at Moorend.

Birkinshaw said: "When experienced players like John and Ian go that puts the thought about leaving into other players' heads. During the season we lost Gareth Davis, who played only one match for us, Muenoddrin Kadri, who couldn't accept the clubs's policy on discipline, and wicketkeeper Harry Anderson.

"We know Division Two is not easy - it is tougher than many people think."