Booth’s league side all-rounder Chris Shannon has agreed to join Foster’s Halifax League champions Jer Lane.
It is a major blow to the Calder Valley club’s hopes of bridging the 24 point gap between themselves and Lane after the pair filled the top two places in the Premier Division in the latest season.
Shannon joined Booth from Bradshaw two seasons ago and has made a major impact with bat and ball.
In the latest season he scored 600 runs at the top of the order and took 30 wickets with his quick deliveries which swing in to right-handed batsmen.
Richard Laycock, who will be vice-captain to Robert Cockroft at Booth next season, said Shannon had told them he was leaving to join Jer Lane.
“Chris is a good all-rounder and it is a shame - we will have to soldier on,” he said.
“He started last season really well, had a poor period in the middle and then came back towards the end.”
Jer Lane have been champions for the last two years and after beating Booth in the 2013 Parish Cup final surprisingly failed to double up again when they lost to Copley in this year’s showpiece game.
They recruited two leading bowlers in the last close season in Sam Wilson from Clayton and Simon Collins from Bradshaw.
This year’s league averages winner Wilson has now joined Airedale and Wharfedale League middle-section side Pool.
However, Lane have recruited another opening bowler in Mansha ‘Charlie’ Khan.
He is described by skipper Mick Hustler as “a Bradford League legend” and has played for Haworth Road in the Craven League recently.
Hustler confirmed that the paperwork for Shannon’s move had been completed.
He said Shannon was one of the best left-handed top order batsmen in the league and he also expected him to contribute fully with the ball and in the field.