FORMER Yorkshire and England wicketkeeper, Jimmy Binks, has been elected president of the Yorkshire County Cricket Club Players' Association.

The association voted itself into existence at an enthusiastic meeting of the club's past and present players at Headingley yesterday.

It was agreed that Geoff Cope and Bryan Stott would continue to run the Association until rules and regulations are set up later in the year and that Binks should be president-elect until the official launch and then president for a further year.

Binks, 69, was born in Hull but has lived in America for many years and is currently visiting his sister in Paris but when he learned of the inaugural meeting he insisted on spending a few days in Yorkshire in order to attend and has stayed with his friend and former colleague, David Pickles, at his home in Halifax.

The rare gathering of Yorkshire players with an age range of around 60 years brought out autograph hunters in force and they queued up patiently to add names to their collections.

Binks, who played for Yorkshire from 1955-69, during which time he took 872 catches and pulled off 172 stumpings, said after his election as president: "I was staggered when I was asked if I would do the job and it is a great honour to accept.

"Living in California means I will not be around too often but whenever it is possible to attend I will."

Updated: 09:45 Monday, April 11, 2005