BRIDPORT chairman Peter Wyrill has confirmed that the club will not have a side competing at senior level this term.

The Brewery Ground outfit were forced to pull their men’s team out of the Dorset League structure after just three games last season and have not played a competitive men’s fixture since.

The youth section of the club continues to thrive with more than 50 juniors from around the area attending training sessions but the chairman regrettably admits the senior set-up is “still in the doldrums” at present.

Wyrill said: “We withdrew from the league and tried to get some sort of unofficial friendly arrangements, where we would have a mixture of seniors and youth and we can bed them in for the future.

“We have a really good strong under-15s, under-13s and under-11s.

“That is the future of the club, without a doubt.

“If we had the enthusiasm that we have in the junior ranks it would be amazing but we haven’t got that at senior level.”

He added: “People don’t want to travel, they don’t want to go over to Bournemouth and play a game which is 40 overs, where they have to leave at 10am on a Saturday morning and get back about 8pm in the evening – they just don’t want to do it.

“Something might happen but, at the moment, it is still in the doldrums and it is still what I would say is a work in progress.”

The chairman did confirm that Bridport were still looking to

get some friendly fixtures organised for later in the summer

but admitted “nothing is concrete at the moment”.

He added: “I am hopeful and I am positive because the club’s youth section is so strong and that’s what we have to focus on.

“We are solvent at a club, we have money in the bank and it’s just about that senior side.

“If there are any senior players out there that want to play cricket on a fantastic ground, please get in contact with the club because we would love to hear from you and get this up and running.”

* Beaminster are hoping for a strong and competitive season – despite dropping down to one team – when they start their Dorset League Division Three campaign against Wimborne & Colehill Thirds on Saturday.

They will be hoping their crop of young talent can make their mark this year and will be hoping two months of solid practice indoors will pay dividends.