Cricket: Second coming together of clubs to discuss league structure

Jan 31 2008 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Daily Post

CLUBS in the Business Assistance Liverpool Competition will meet for the second time in 24 days this evening in an attempt to decide the structure of the league from the 2009 season onwards.

The single proposal before officials at the Sefton Park Special general meeting will be to expand the Competition to 36 clubs comprising three divisions of 12 sides apiece. It is the essentially the same motion that failed by five votes to achieve the required two-thirds majority at the January 8 AGM.

If the proposal fails, the league would seem committed to the present structure – two divisions of 14 – until 2010 at least.

The thinking behind the suggested expansion is that the ECB Premier League encompassed too wide a standard in 2007 and that three divisions would provide rather more competitive cricket for everyone.

In addition, eight new clubs, most of them from the Merseyside and Southport Cricket Alliance, would be given the opportunity to join.

But by no means everyone is convinced of the wisdom of the proposed change, even among clubs at the top of the Premier League.

Although indications from the ongoing consultations at Fleetwood Hesketh were that the Sea Cop club would vote in favour of the expansion, Ormskirk captain Adam Waterhouse offered a different personal opinion.

“I think we should give the structure we have at the moment a chance,” he said. “Let’s see how it pans out in a couple of years. I think the standard will improve.”

Hightown captain Ian Sutcliffe is also unsure of the wisdom of the move. He added: “From a first-team captain’s point of view I have no objection to three divisions of 12 but I don’t think the effect on second teams has been considered sufficiently.”

“The expansion hasn’t been thought through sufficiently,” added Ainsdale’s new skipper, John Pearce

Meanwhile, Jesse Ryder, New Brighton’s professional in 2007, has been selected in the New Zealand squad for the upcoming Twenty20 and one-day international series against England.