COLCHESTER and East Essex Cricket Club have withdrawn their third team from the Shepherd Neame Essex League due to player unavailability.

The Castle Park side’s record in Third XI division two has now been expunged and they will play all of their remaining fixtures as friendlies, after they dropped out of the division following a series of concessions.

Colchester’s three Essex League sides have all been hit by a lack of numbers, this season.

And that unavailability has ultimately affected their third XI most severely, prompting them to drop out of the division.

Colchester and East Essex chairman Andrew Kennedy told the Daily Gazette: “We lost a few players in the winter and unfortunately, availability for all three teams has been poor.

“This year, we’ve been hit more by the unavailability of junior players.

“We have a lot of kids who are studying for their exams and we have more juniors playing cricket for their Public and Grammar schools.

“That’s culminated in them not being available for us as much and has meant we haven’t been able to fulfil our third XI fixtures.

“But we’re hoping that will start to pick up, over the next few weeks.

“Another thing that has made a difference is our third XI having to travel a fair distance to places like Walthamstow and Gidea Park, which because of the general age of the team has generally meant parents having to drop off early and pick up late.”

Kennedy says Colchester are considering entering a third XI into the Two Counties Championship, in 2018.

“We’re thinking of moving the third XI into the Two Counties Championship regional division,” he said.

“We’re considering putting an application in for next season, if we think we have enough players to do so.

“It’s a cyclical thing and it’s something I think that most clubs have to deal with at one point or another.

“It doesn’t help that in Colchester, there are a large number of clubs in a small radius with really good clubs in places like Wivenhoe, Elmstead and Copford.

“That means more competition for the same players and it can prove difficult.”

Colchester have bowed out of this season’s Dukes Essex T20 competition at the quarter-final stage, after losing by eight runs to Upminster.

Upminster made 124 for nine and Colchester fell short of their target in reply, finishing on 116 for seven.