ECB say no to a 12 Team Premier Division

The Jolly's Drinks Cornwall Cricket League's Management Committee have failed in their bid to persuade the ECB to increase the number of teams in the Premier Division from ten to twelve teams for the 2002 season. The LMC made representations to the ECB following concerns shown by a number of Premier clubs that were unhappy that they had up to four blank match days during the season, necessitated by their respective 2nd XI 's playing league fixtures over a twelve team matrix in the rest of the Cornwall League.

ECB Recreational Cricket Operations Manager Mr Frank Kemp has informed the League that the Premier League Assessement Panel "was unanimously of the view that any increase in the number of clubs in the Premier League must inevitably reduce the overall standard of the cricket played and was therefore not a change that they would approve. They were also not prepared to approve continued funding at. the ten club level if the Premier Division expanded to twelve clubs". In 2001 almost £10,000 of funding has been received by the Premier League Clubs and the Cornwall League.

Mr Kemp went on to add "The Panel recognised that blank Saturdays are not acceptable on any regular basis and urged the League to use the assistance offered to address the fixture scheduling problems in order to allow the League to maintain its status as an ECB Premier League with 10 clubs in the Premier Division. The Panel appreciated the difficulties faced by the League Management Committee but felt strongly that the original decision to create a Premier Division of 10 clubs was correct and in the best interests of cricket in Cornwall".

The ECB has offered to fund professional expertise with the aim to arrange a suitable fixture schedule that would see Premier clubs play four Group Cup games and one Premier League game over the first five match days of the season then follow on with the remaining seventeen Premier League games from the end of May to give teams a full twenty-two match Saturday and Bank Holiday programme. The aim is that the schedule also incorporates the remainder of the League playing in the existing twelve team division format with 1st and 2nds XI's having home and away fixtures on each match day.

Appeals against disciplinary decisions against St Buryan and Hayle at the end of the season are due to be heard by mid November. Details will appear on this website of the outcome and subsequent make up of the divisions for 2002.

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