The JCT600 Bradford League have been criticised for making the results of their pitch- marking scheme public.

The figures for all of the clubs in the league were published on the league’s website and in the Telegraph & Argus.

An unfortunate side effect has been that East Bierley, who were 24th out of 26 clubs with a below-average mark of 3.33, have lost two volunteer groundsmen.

Bierley’s cricket chairman Ray Davis said: “We have lost two people who turned up at 9am on a Saturday because these figures have been made public.

“It is hard enough to get volunteers and now people are thinking that our ground must be in a right state.

“Also we were given no indication through the summer that there were any problems.”

Davis’ comments were backed up by Woodlands’ David Wharf, who agreed that publication was not the right thing. They finished 22nd – a tenth of a mark above Bierley.

However, league chairman Graham Reid said that it was not practicable to keep clubs updated as to how they were doing through the season.

He said: “No system is perfect and we will learn from this.

“We will look into it but the pitch marking scheme is there for clubs to enhance their facilities.”

John Brooke of Lightcliffe – who finished top – suggested a compromise of only publishing the top three.

The league have been granted £9,000 from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) because of their pitch-marking scheme.

The league’s media and marketing officer Alan Birkinshaw said: “Ten clubs will be selected at random and they will have their pitches inspected by ECB-credited personnel in consultation with the groundsmen.

“£3,500 must be spent on pitch inspections and there will be a dossier to work from in each case. They will be very detailed pitch inspections.”