CLEOBURY Mortimer could quit the Worcestershire League amid a row over a likely triple relegation ahead of next season.

Captain Dave Shorter confirmed a switch to the Shropshire League would be discussed with the club facing a drop from Division Three to Division Six following the demise of their second team.

The Worcestershire League requires all clubs playing in their top five tiers to have a two-team set up, a stance Shorter labelled “stupid”.

Cleobury Mortimer’s playing record should have seen them safe in mid-table but the deduction of 115 points – most of which were taken because their second team failed to fulfil fixtures – consigned them to the basement.

Shorter said: “We are discussing plans to move to a different league, we will face a triple relegation either way but we feel the Worcestershire League is set up pretty poorly.

“The structure does not help the small clubs to progress, they just want the bigger clubs to grow. Our record shows we are capable of playing in Division Three but we are not allowed to because the league has a stupid ruling in place.

“It has caused a bit of stress at the club with all of the points deductions and fines they want to give us.

“They don’t seem to want the little village clubs that want to get better and see how far they can go so we are looking at entering the Shropshire League.”

Worcestershire League chairman Peter Radburn argued the rules had always been in place and said his organisation had done all they could to support Cleobury Mortimer.

“The idea is to try to encourage clubs to grow and the top five divisions have always been for clubs with two teams,” said Radburn.

“Cleobury have had problems with retaining players over the past year and pulled their second team two matches into the season.

“That caused problems with other teams who had holes in their fixture lists. The rules have been in place for many years and seem to work okay.

“We have tried hard to help Cleobury in the past year or so and instigated the Shropshire Cricket Board to support them.

“We would be happy for them to continue in our league or support their move to Shropshire. Either way, we wish them the best of luck.”

Cleobury finished their campaign with a four-wicket success over Ross-on-Wye on Saturday.

Kieran Hall (4-22) helped to restrict the visitors to 143 all out with stand-in skipper Ed Kemp (37), Oliver Rowland (23*) and Hall (32*) inspiring a total of 144 for six.