SUNDAY'S Mewies Solicitors Craven League Manorlands Plate Twenty20 event at Oakworth Cricket Club is being dedicated to Long Lee stalwart Derek Granger, who died aged 76 in April.

Long Lee All Stars will face Sutton in the first semi-final at 10.30am, with Ingrow St John's meeting Oakworth at 1.30pm.

The final will follow at 4.30pm and is appropriately being umpired by Derek's pal Colin Myers and Kevin Pickles.

League fixture secretary Trevor Coe has paid a fulsome tribute in the programme, stating that a senior Craven League player had said Derek was "the nearest umpire to Dickie Bird the Craven League will get in my lifetime".

He wrote: "Derek Granger meant something to a lot of people – a husband, a dad, a brother, a relative, a friend – but to most people who knew him, he was Derek.

"He spent a lot of time with everyone of us and we are all grateful that we knew him."

Last December, Derek was awarded a crystal decanter to celebrate his 60-year association with the club on what was an emotional evening as Derek was completely taken by surprise.

Coe added: "Derek, as we all know, lived for cricket and he had a long and successful career playing with Long Lee, originally in the West Bradford League and, from 1979, in the Craven League.

"Derek held several roles at the club – player, second-team captain for numerous years, umpire, committee member and groundsman.

"He then took over as the club's umpire before joining the Craven Umpires' Association when it was founded in 1995.

"He was the driving force behind the club extension, for the garage and scorebox. Derek was seen up the ladder doing everything he possibly could to help.

"Off the field, Derek was the club's representative at the West Bradford League meetings and when they joined us.

"For some years, he has been on the Keighley Cup committee – on finals day he would be on the gate at Keighley Cricket Club.

"Over the years as an umpire, he built up a partnership with Colin Myers, which earned them the nickname the dynamic duo.

"I know I can say without fear or favour that they became synonymous with fair play throughout the league.

"Derek had an amazing gift. He knew every cricketer in the top two divisions by name. If truth be known, he probably knew every cricketer he had ever umpired by name.

"He had a saying about umpiring – you don't do it for the money. Why would anyone stand in a field for six hours for what we get?

"They must be mad. Well we all know he did it because he loved the game, loved the cricketers and the chats he had with them while playing and standing at square leg – not always about cricket.

"The outpouring of grief and the wonderful comments I've heard can't begin to express or explain the loss to Long Lee Cricket Club."

'Uncle Derek', as he was known to many, died in Manorlands Hospice, near Oxenhope, and money raised from Sunday's matches will go there.

Admission is £2 for adults and £1 to OAPS and juniors.