TO emphasise the growth of girls’ cricket in North and West Yorkshire, a separate girls’ division has been introduced to the Upper Airedale Junior Cricket Association’s Black Rat Festival on Sunday, June 18.

Girls’ teams from Skipton, Crossflatts, Oakworth, Settle and Great Horton Church will compete using a softball.

The festival, as per usual, is being jointly hosted by adjacent clubs Skipton and Skipton CI, and the nearby football pitch will also be in use to accommodate the festival’s large numbers.

In addition to the girls’ softball group, there will also be mixed gender competitions at under-9s, 11s and 13s.

Teams will be guaranteed at least four matches, but they will play more if they reach quarter-finals, semi-finals or finals, plus third and fourth-place play-offs.

The schedule is tight, however, with just 30 minutes allocated for each match, starting at 9.30am, and the festival is scheduled to finish at 4.45pm.

Under-13s (at Skipton CC): Alwoodley (holders), Skipton, Oakworth, Haworth, Settle, Crossflatts, Earby, Steeton, Addingham, Harden.

Under-11s (at Skipton CI): Alwoodley (holders), Skipton, Oakworth, Settle, Haworth, Bingley Congs, Addingham, Crossflatts, Wharfedale, Earby.

Under- 9s (football field): Skipton (holders), Barnoldswick, Oakworth, Settle, Bingley Congs, Gt Horton Church, Crossflatts, Cullingworth, Wharfedale, Earby.

Girls’ Softball (football field): Skipton, Crossflatts, Oakworth, Settle, Gt Horton Church.