NCU clubs give green light to 10-team Premier League

CLUBS in the Northern Cricket Union have agreed almost unanimously to a new league structure from the 2022 season.

Only three voted against the proposal which will see the Premier League revert to a 10team league, with Section One continuing with their 18-match season while Sections Two and Three will merge.

As a result, for a second successive year there will be no relegation, with the top two in Sections One and Two both promoted.

After this year’s exclusively T20 action, the union are planning for a return to a ‘normal season’ in 2021 and 50-over cricket in both the top two tiers.

Because of Covid restrictions, the annual meeting was held by Zoom with advance voting by proxy.

The chairman, Sam Beckett, who continues in the post for a second year, announced the outcome of the votes.

Among the other proposals passed, all Match 2s — the rearrangement of games postponed because of weather — will be a maximum of 20 overs, and all cup ties will be decided by a maximum of two Super Overs, a second taking place if the first is tied.

The number of wickets lost in either the match or Super Over will not be considered.

There was a change of officer at the top, with Carrickfergus’ Roger Bell assuming the president’s role, and Brian Walsh was elected as vice-president, to take the higher office in 2023.

Meanwhile, Paul Stirling was dropped from the Dambulla Viiking side for their fourth group match in the Lanka (T20) Premier League yesterday.

Stirling came out of six days’ isolation and, perhaps unwisely, played immediately on successive days.

The Ireland vice-captain faced just 12 balls for an aggregate of three runs. The Viiking are second in the table at the halfway stage with three wins, and play their next game tomorrow.