CLUBS in the All Rounder Cricket Bradford Premier League want tougher action on slow over rates.

This was revealed by the league's data and communications officer Alan Birkinshaw at the final annual meeting of the Bradford Premier League Umpires' Association before they became the Bradford Premier League Match Officials' Organisation.

He said: "Clubs are wanting over rates to be administered strictly and work to the 3hr 10min deadline for 50 overs.

"We will be deducting league points - one point for a first offence, two points for a second offence etc.

"We have to look at penalties for stretching games. Some innings stretched to four hours, and for a Premier League that is not acceptable."

Birkinshaw also announced that the Priestley Shield will be 40 overs per side next season to bring it into line with the Jack Hampshire Cup.

He thanked the Umpires' Association for their help throughout the season, for getting all of the cup finals through on schedule, for taking appointments at short notice and for providing useful data via the cards on match-day, which he knows is "a bit of a chore".

Umpires' appointments secretary Neil Johnson thanked his assistant Nigel A Thornton for his support, as well as the umpires themselves, their executive committee and the league's management board.

Johnson said: "We have a shortage of umpires; we must all pull together and cover fixtures when appointed.

"It is only fair to cover as many games as we possibly can and then the clubs will hopefully assist us in getting more umpires.

"This year we have tried to make sure that there were always two umpires and that there were not as many games where you umpired on your own."

Umpires' treasurer David Radcliffe reported a loss on the year ending September 30, 2019 of £471.87 compared with a surplus of £236.70 on the previous year.

Coats for umpires cost £450, as did polo shirts (neither of which were expenditure items in 2017-18), and MCC Law Books were purchased for £240, while honararia went up from £1,600 to £1,800.

Meanwhile, sponsorship went up from £500 to £1,150, courtesy of £650 from Mini Travel Executive and £500 from Ask The Office.

The bank balance at the end of the 2018-19 financial year was £2,860.33, which Ratcliffe described as as "healthy".