Hanging Heaton handed bye in first round of Black Sheep Champions Trophy

Gary Fellows’ men, who won the Allrounder Bradford Premier League title for the first time in 18 years last season, will aim to become double Yorkshire champions.

Heaton overcame Wakefield Thornes by three runs in the final of last season’s Yorkshire Premier Leagues Championship at Headingley and will now represent the Bradford League in this season’s Black Sheep competition.

York and Pudsey St Lawrence were drawn together in the first round, after they were declared joint winners of the 2017 competition.

The organising panel have decided that original plans to try an re-stage last year’s final that was rained off in September at Masham are not viable and the trophy will be shared.

The sides that have reached the last two Black Sheep finals will meet at Tofts Road in a tie to be played on or before June 17.

The remaining first round tie sees Aire-Wharfe League title winners Beckwithshaw host Huddersfield League champions Hoylandswaine.

Beckwithshaw will be without last season’s star man Alex Lilley after his close season transfer to Bradford Premier side New Farnley.

Yorkshire Premier League South champions Wakefield Thornes were also handed a first round bye.

The semi-final pairings see the winners of the Pudsey St Lawrence against York tie host Wakefield Thornes, while Hanging Heaton will be away to Beckwithshaw or Hoylandswaine.

First round (to be played by June 17): Beckwithshaw v Hoylandswaine, Pudsey St Lawrence v York.

Semi-finals (to be played by July 22): Beckwithshaw or Hoylandswaine v Hanging Heaton, Pudsey St Lawrence or York v Wakefield Thornes. Final: September 9.

A host of transfers to Bradford Premier clubs have already been confirmed, including Adnan Mahmood’s switch from Farsley to Batley.

Promising young batsman Joe Wood has also made the switch from Cleckheaton to Spen Victoria and a full list of transfers is available by visiting www.bradfordcl.com.