Last season's Vinter Cup finalists Paul have stunned the Cornish cricketing fraternity after announcing that they have withdrawn from the ECB Cornwall Premier League for 2014.

The Jolly’s Drinks Cornwall Cricket League said it had reluctantly accepted the club's decision.

Following an extraordinary committee meeting on March 24 the club sent a letter to the league chairman which stated: “We find ourselves having lost six players who played Premier League cricket last season through transfers, retirement and career-threatening injuries, and three other players are not available until they finish at University.

"We therefore feel that we would not be able to fulfil our Premier League fixtures. We would ask the LMC to allow us to continue fielding sides in Division 2 West and Division 7 West."

With health and safety of players a factor, along with the long term survival of the club, the league decided it was not an option to ask the existing players to step up to play in higher tiers, and will allow the club to field two teams only.

Paul joined the Premier League in 2007 and were runners up in their first season. They went on to claim the title in 2010.

They have also been losing finalists in four of the last eight Vinter Cup Finals, including last year’s narrow defeat against Falmouth.