A BRADFORD cricket club have started a ‘fat tax’ incentive scheme in a bid to get fit over winter in preparation for their upcoming season.

Members of the Low Moor Holy Trinity squad began their quest at the weekend to become the ‘biggest loser’ of weight, with the final weigh-in due to be streamed live on the club’s social media on April 10 next year.

The conditions of the tax are that every 2lb of weight lost constitutes £1 off annual club subscription, while each pound gained equals £1 added on to their yearly fee.

The winner will receive his/her annual subs for half price.

Low Moor will be hoping the scheme can boost their fitness to enable them to build on last season’s impressive Spenser Wilson Halifax League Second Division promotion.

Veteran opening bowlers of the first team, club secretary Martin Jenkins and long serving all-rounder Mark Stokes created the scheme.

Jenkins has been blown away by the level of interest the initiative has received since making it public.

He said: “It just started off as a joke in our own social media then we thought if we widened it a bit it might inspire other clubs.

“There are a few of us who are in our late 30s, still wanting to prolong our career as local cricketers so we have all started looking into how to keep fit.

“Some of us have signed up at the new Sedbergh gym at Low Moor and we wanted to find someway of intensifying it.

“We came up with the idea that will make it a bit more competitive, about nine or 10 club members have signed up to it, other people can sign up to it if they want too.

“The ones who have committed to sign up to the gym are more likely than others. I imagine there will be some drop-outs as the winter and spring period progress.

“My money is on 15 stone Nick Thompson and 16 stone Mark Mills to be the top performers.

“We have since received great interest from clubs in Bradford. Great Horton are doing something similar now, it has snowballed onto other local teams.

“Collectively we might go on to contribute to people getting more healthy.”

Various people and clubs across twitter have praised the idea.

@DanBusfield said: “Great idea and a fantastic way to engage blokes in weight loss.”

@CrossflattsCC said: “What a fantastic idea, reckon a few of ours would certainly benefit from similar.”

@TrustYccc said: “Great way to get players to stay fit out of season.”

@Beesley555 said: “Great idea, already talks of introducing it @ghpccc potentially.”

To keep informed of the #FATTAX scheme, follow Low Moor on Twitter: @Low MoorHTCC