Airedale & Wharfedale Senior League secretary Dave Alred has warned that “drastic measures will have to be taken” if more people do not volunteer as umpires.

The three-division league has 36 teams which put out a first and a second XI, and two umpires are required at each game.

The league therefore re-quires 72 umpires each Saturday but numbers have fallen to only 62.

This means that many games cannot be adequately officiated.

The average age of an umpire is around 70 years old, and Alred has warned that “they are not getting any younger”.

Many suffer from age-related illnesses, which means there are even fewer available for Saturday matches, and there are also holidays and other commitments to take into account.

Alred said: “We would like to recruit players that don’t play every week and could spare some Saturday afternoons or Sunday afternoons for the occasional cup game.”

Eddie Thirlwell, secretary of the Airedale and Wharfedale Umpires’ Association, has been umpiring for 29 seasons and is concerned that matches would not be officiated without “fear or favour” if numbers continue to fall.

He said: “You can’t play cricket without an umpire, and we have a real shortage.

“If anyone wants to become an umpire, there is no better place to watch cricket.”

Volunteers will be trained, and courses are run in the evenings during the winter.

They involve seven sessions, with each lasting about two hours.

Anyone interested in becoming an umpire should contact Alred on d. alred@ sky. com.

* SA Sports Coaching will be running another cricket course at Olicanian Cricket Club this summer.

From 10am-3pm on Wednesday, August 17-Friday, August 19, their team of coaches, including former Yorkshire off-spinner James Finch, now with Suffolk, and Level Three coach Sam Anderson will be running the course which will cover all aspects of the game.

Everyone between the ages of seven and 14 is welcome to book their place by calling James Finch on 07854-596959 or by e-mailing sam@sasportscoaching.com or visiting the website www.sasportscoaching.com.