REPORT BY: EMMA KENNEDY

OTLEY Cricket Club have been awarded prestigious Clubmark status by the England & Wales Cricket Board.

The culmination of 12 months of hard work behind the scenes, Otley now join Steeton, Skipton, Tong Park Esholt, Ilkley, and North Leeds as one of six clubs across the Airedale & Wharfedale Cricket League to achieve the accolade.

Clubmark accreditation recognises that a club is sustainable, well-run, and provides the right environment for its members, as well as ensuring that it is a safe, rewarding and fulfilling place for participants of all ages.

Safeguarding protocols and the club’s development plans for the future have also played a key part in the accreditation process.

Chairman Alex Atkinson is delighted to have achieved Clubmark status in his first year in the role, saying: “This is a momentous day for Otley Cricket Club.

“Behind the scenes, we have been working tirelessly to ensure that we could get to this stage before the beginning of the 2023 season.

“Many people have been involved and worked together through the process, and I would like to say how much I and (Club President Chris Smith) appreciate the time and effort that it has taken.

“We are one of only six clubs in the Aire-Wharfe structure to hold Clubmark status and are really proud to have been involved in such a small group of clubs leading the way.

“It’s clear that we can use the practices that Clubmark instills to continue to deliver and create opportunities for all our members and the wider community.”

With new artificial training nets and their groundsman’s building project also due to be completed early next year, it is certainly exciting to see what the next few months have in store for the club.

Otley begin the 2023 Division One season with a mouth-watering tie at reigning champions Rawdon on 22 April, with their second team playing host to Horsforth Hall Park 2nd in Division Four.

In other news, big changes are afoot at Cross Green, with a new senior leadership team taking the club into 2023.

2023 is set to be a momentous year for Otley CC. All three senior teams have new captains and there is a sense of a new chapter beginning.

Josh Atkinson will take over as Club and 1st XI captain.

The club said: "Thank you must go to outgoing captain George Huntley for his hard work over the past two years."

Atkinson only recently rejoined his hometown club in 2020 and prior to joining captained his previous club, Harrogate CC in the Yorkshire Premier North group, and he has wasted no time in putting his stamp on the team.

Paul Nicholson has rejoined his boyhood club from Bradford League side Farsley, he will bring some great experience to a side that already boasts AWSCL stalwarts James Davies and Stephen Brown.

2nd XI skipper Chris Halliday is stepping down after two seasons in charge. He has seen the side through some tough times, but with the side now boasting seven or eight players each week under the age of 25, he leaves the side in great shape.

Taking over from him is former 1st XI regular Jono Hughes. Hughes has been in and out of the side over the past three years.

It’s a Hughes takeover with Jono’s son, George taking the reins of the 3rd XI. 2022 was a breakout season for Hughes, which saw him amass a total of 508 runs.