WOODHOUSE Grange have reached the final of a leading York district cricket tournament - without having played a semi or quarter-final.

The side have been awarded byes after a string of clubs were unable to raise a team to face them in the weekday evenings competition, The Sawkill Cup.

Their semi-final opponents should have been either Heworth or Clifton Alliance, whose quarter-final last Wednesday was rained off three-quarters of the way through.

A rematch was not possible, and deciding the winners on the toss of a coin would have proved pointless as it emerged neither club would have been able to raise a side for Friday's scheduled semi.

Meanwhile, Woodhouse Grange only reached the semi-final after Monday's quarter-final opponents, Dunnington, who were also unable to raise a team, conceded the match.

Heworth CC fixture secretary Stephen Armstrong now believes changes in competition rules are necessary.

"I have always regarded the Sawkill Cup as one of the premier cup competitions on an evening but I do feel it starts to be devalued if fixtures cannot take place," he told the Evening Press.

"If you look at all competitions entries are down and maybe the time has come for all cup competition organisers to get together and thrash things out, as there is a danger of a demise of local evening cup cricket."