A RYEDALE cricket club “will fold” if more players and members aren’t found, its president has warned.

Kirkbymoorside Cricket Club, based just off the A170 on the eastern edge of the town, has a long history and currently has both senior and junior teams.

But club president and stalwart Howard Mudd has said that a lack of senior team players and other members has meant that the club had to cancel their last six matches during the summer season.

Mr Mudd said: “The club currently play in the Scarborough Beckett Saturday League and the Ryedale Beckett Evening League.

“While the club has a developing junior and coaching section, they have found themselves short of senior players resulting in having to concede several games this season.

“It is deeply disappointing to find the club in this situation given the facilities and equipment available.”

He added that potential players and members don’t require experience necessarily. “We need people to help off the field as well as on,” he said.

“There’s a huge amount to do.”

Mr Mudd said that the club was established in its current form in 1976 following a fire that destroyed the cricket pavilion in the early 1970s, and it has been going since then.

But he also added that the local Kirkbymoorside History Group has records of a cricket club in the town dating back to 1880.

And in contrast to its current difficulties, the club has also seen league success in recent years.

“We’ve won the Ryedale Beckett league several times in the recent past and we were a premier League side for 14 or 15 years on the bounce,” Mr Mudd said.

“We had two sides at one stage and had overseas players.”

If you feel you could help in any way as a member or player to prevent the folding of this long-established cricket club please contact Howard on 01751 432064 or the club secretary on 01751 432422.