MARLOW Cricket Club have appealed to the English Cricket Board over the Thames Valley League's refusal to allow them to wear their snazzy new yellow and blue kit in matches.>

Club gets shirty over kit ban

Picture shows Graham Paskin and Keith Hillier in the kit

MARLOW Cricket Club have appealed to the English Cricket Board over the Thames Valley League's refusal to allow them to wear their snazzy new yellow and blue kit in matches.

Traditionalists on the league's committee voted unanimously that the trendy kit, which has the name of the club's sponsors Xerotec emblazoned across the back, was simply not cricket.

The decision, which was announced by letter last week, has hit Marlow for six because they have already spent some of the £2,500 sponsorship money they received to wear the new kit.

But they know that if they do wear it they could be docked championship points or be fined.

But Marlow are not taking the decision lying down.

They have sent one of the controversial shirts to Lords and are hoping the English Cricket Board will give it the thumbs up and put pressure on Thames Valley League bosses to back down.

Marlow's Director of Cricket, Graeme Paskins said: "We aren't going to let this one go.

"I think the ECB will back us and see that it is for the good of the game. If they give us the go-ahead we will wear it."

But Thames Valley League secretary Derek Pyne is in no mood to discuss the issue.

He said: "The management committee has unanimously said no and the reasons for that decision are between us and Marlow."

Marlow chairman Keith Hillier said: "The kit is quite acceptable in my opinion.

"People might say it is breaking with the traditions of cricket but so are other clubs who have put advertising hoardings around their ground.

"We think the kit is a good idea. I think the league is being a dog in the manger. They aren't looking at the future of the game and seeing what can be done to attract youngsters into cricket.

"OK it is a bit of a gimmick, but it might attract new people to play the game and we need the money."

Coloured kits are commonplace in the professional one-day games.

But although Marlow have been barred from wearing their's in the league they did don it last Sunday when they beat Beddington in the Evening Standard competition.

Paskins said: "It added to the game, it looked great and went down well with everyone.

"The Thames Valley Cricket League should accept it and move with the times."

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