Hull in talks over possible return to the ECB fold after year out in cold

A number of factors contributed to Hull stepping down, with some of their players earning places at university and moving away, one or two retiring and some moving up the coast to Scarborough.

The upshot is that Hull’s current “first team” now play in the York and District Senior League, with the club continuing to fly the flag with two XIs in that competition.

But Ward is keeping his fingers crossed Hull return to the fold.

He added: “I have had a conversation with someone in Hull who says they might want to have a team in the Yorkshire League next year.

“When Hull said they wanted to resign, we didn’t accept it, but did defer it for a year.

“A lot of lads from the first team either joined other clubs or left the area and it meant their second team would have been playing in the Yorkshire League and that would have been too strong. But I am a big believer in working with clubs and rectifying and not punishing.

“That’s what we are trying to do and hopefully they may come back next year.

“Everything is there on the table and as a chairman of the league I am open to anything for the good of the 14 clubs – including Hull – and of cricket in Yorkshire.”