I READ with interest the report about Hemingbrough Cricket Club in the Evening Press (Saturday, November 26).

I was somewhat amazed that the spokesman for York and District Senior Cricket League's sponsors said that there had never been a racism problem before.

He must either be misinformed or suffering from amnesia if the league has no recollection of the investigation into the league that the Commission for Racial Equality carried out in 1999 with regards to the Jamaican player Joseph Grant. The Evening Press also carried the Grant story at the time.

As somebody who was actively involved in the Joseph Grant disciplinary hearings I have first-hand experience of how the league handle such incidents.

I personally made two written complaints to the league about the racial abuse I and others complained that we had witnessed at one particular club towards Dunnington players Joseph Grant and Steve Linton.

With regards to Mr Grant no action was taken. With regards to Mr Linton the league did not pursue any disciplinary procedures, citing insufficient evidence - this even when Dunnington had received a letter from the club involved apologising for the incident and advising them that the person involved had been disciplined by their own committee.

As somebody who has many friends in the game of cricket, from all nationalities, it is my opinion that the committee members need to drag themselves into the 21st century and accept that they cannot run the league as a private members' club.

Chris Dillon,

Colton,

Leeds.

Updated: 11:45 Thursday, December 08, 2005