English Clubs Back New League Structure (11 Dec 1996)

11 December 1996

Clubs back new league structure

By Charles Randall

GRADE cricket, Australian-style, is coming to England in the biggest shake-up at club level since premier leagues became established in the home counties during the early Seventies.

Proposals for a new two-day London league, revolutionary by English standards, received an "enthusiastic" response from players and officials of 11 selected clubs at a meeting organised by the National Sporting Club at the Cafe Royal on Monday night.

The London competition would probably start in 1998, the same season as a new premier two-day northern league being pushed through by the Yorkshire Cricket Board.

Lancashire, after vehement opposition from existing leagues, have invited applications for a new league - one-day, not two - backed by #100,000 sponsorship over three years from the brewers Thwaites.

At the meeting in London the Willis brothers - David, a National Sporting Club director, and Bob, the former England captain, both passionate proponents of structured cricket - put forward the idea of a 12-club league within the perimeter of the M25, probably playing 100 overs per day on consecutive Saturdays, with sponsorship available.

The plans for London have moved forward quickly, with a final decision due to be made in January.

The clubs represented were Finchley, Teddington, Ealing (all from Middlesex), Cheam, Esher, Wimbledon (Surrey), Bexley, Bromley (Kent), Gidea Park & Romford, Wanstead (Essex) and Radlett (Hertfordshire). A 12th club is to be decided.

A statement is expected today after talks between English and Australian officials on the future of the dual-qualified Gloucestershire batsman, Andrew Symonds.

Richard Little, the TCCB spokesman, confirmed yesterday that if the English-born but Australian-raised batsman plays for Australia A against West Indies on Friday he will lose his England qualification. The Australian board take a different view.

There are suggestions that Symonds might pull out of the limited-overs international in Melbourne.

Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)