FORMER Yorkshire and England batsman Phil Sharpe, who represents York members on the Yorkshire committee, looks certain to be returned unopposed as a North District representative at the club's annual meeting in March.

Nominations officially close at mid-day on New Year's Eve but no other prospective candidates have so far approached Headingley for their papers.

It will be the second year running that no contested elections have taken place at the annual meeting, the retiring members all being given a free ride.

Sharpe is the third longest serving member on the Yorkshire committee and has held his seat continuously since being elected in 1979. Only Jack Sokell and Tony Cawdry of the present committee have given longer service.

The three other committee members expected to be returned unopposed are former Yorkshire and England off-spinner Geoff Cope (Central), Sid Fielden (South) and Paul Ablett (West).

Cope will add a further string to his bow in January when he is elected to serve for two years on the England and Wales Cricket Board Pitches Committee at Lord's.

Yorkshire's reconstructed cricket school will be completed in time for it to stage the club's annual meeting on Saturday, March 23, and so far only one members' resolution has been submitted for the agenda.

Former committee member Philip Akroyd, who resigned his seat several weeks ago, is urging the committee to put forward a rule change at the 2003 annual meeting which would see the committee elected on a first-past-the-post system instead of the present method of three representatives for each of four districts.

The general committee discussed such a possible move recently but rejected the idea by six votes to four.

Updated: 10:52 Saturday, December 29, 2001