Just a note on the proposed changes to the league structure from the NCU for the 2009 season. To go to an eight team league in one season means that we need to hear a great deal more on the proposals for promotion and relegation for the 2009 season.

Andy Clement the Cricket Development Director publicly urged clubs not to vote on narrow self interest but clubs need to be sure exactly what they are voting for. No mention has been made on promotion or relegation for 2009 so one must assume that 2 are relegated from Section 1 and join the top six from Section 2. The bottom 4 from Section 2 join the top 4 from Section 3 etc. This effectively means there is no promotion. Sides currently in Section 2 for 2009 CANNOT get into Section 1 for the following 2010 season.

For the sides that have been relegated from Sections 1 and 2 it is doubly cruel. Poor Dundrum or is it Saintfield have gone into Section 3 by the tiniest and cruellest of margins. The proposals as they stand means they are there for 2 years no matter how well they perform. How long can clubs hold onto their best players under those circumstances?

In principle, for the top leagues I support the proposals in reducing the league program but only because the very top teams compete in 5 different competitions (all playing under different rules, is it any wonder the captains get confused). Therefore reducing the league program takes some pressure off the system. However a better system would be lose a cup competition. For the teams that reached the last 4 of the 2008 Metal Technology 20/20 competition they will enter 6 competitions!* For other leagues an 8 team structure with only one cup competition doesn't give enough cricket.

Another concern is the situation regarding the ISC. Currently the top 10 teams from the NCU and the North West compete along with 14 from the Leinster Cricket Union. This gives an imbalance of 34 teams meaning 2 preliminary rounds. Bearing in mind the poor showing of NCU teams in the ISC in recent years wouldn't the reorganisation of a top flight NCU of 8 teams be a heaven sent opportunity for the ISC organisers to reduce the competition to a symmetrical 32 team competition. The NCU need to give clubs some reassurances on that matter as well.

I would like the NCU to clarify what they have in mind for 2009. Surely the principle should be that clubs that win their Section should be promoted to the next level up. That principle seems to have gone out the window. The more I think about it the more confusing the whole thing gets. To phase in the changes will mean the leagues vary in size. For example if the clubs wanted a one up two down system for say two years it would mean for 2010 the Premier League would have 9 clubs and Sections 2 and 3, 10 clubs and Section 4 who this year had only 6 teams would compete with 7 clubs. By 2011 Premier league would have 8 and Sections 2 and 3 ten teams and Section 4 would have 8 clubs. That would have a better look to the league composition but is this whole restructuring not an overreaction to two dreadful summers of rain.

Like I said before I simply didn't like playing in an 8 team league as there were too many free Saturdays followed by weekends of double headers and it didn't work. Why don't we take a look at the more obvious solutions first? A much fairer and sensible way of dealing with rearrangements would be a great start. Punishing both clubs with a loss, in a no result match because it is raining in one of the worlds wettest regions for cricket makes no sense to me.

The Premier league teams compete in 5 competitions so it is obvious one competition needs to go. I have never understood the point of the Ulster Cup but we insist in playing in an all Ulster cup then there is a really simple and attractive solution. The North West compete in the Faughan Valley Cup and in the NCU the equivalent is the Metal Technology 20/20. Why don't we have a Clubturf Ulster Cup finals day? The finalists for the two regions play each other in Semis and Final at a location that could be alternated between the regions. This would free up a lot of dates for both regions and provide a great day out for the neutrals.

Therefore nothing would be lost in prestige for the Ulster Cup competition, if anything it would get a boost. Top teams in both regions would have a reduction in dates and committment pressures and everyone carrys on as before with a 10 team league structure. Two up and two down which has proved popular would continue as before.

I believe most players would prefer to play in a Premier League game on a Saturday than a Clubturf game on a Sunday. Cricket should be a simple game and judging by the proposals already put in front of the NCU AGM coupled with the restructuring problems things are getting worse. I also think we should knock this net run rate nonsense on the head as well, it is even worse than the bonus system. Nobody understands it and it now appears that the scorebooks for Dundrum and Saintfield are being consulted to decide who is relegated. (Sorry slipped into rant mode there, back to the main point).

The NCU will need to provide a convincing argument why this restructuring is in everyones interest. Unless clubs get much more information on what exactly the arrangements are then they will vote against these proposals. Narrow self interest or not, you cannot vote for something when you are not 100% clear on what you are voting for. And remember if it all goes wrong next year it's all your captains fault whoever he is!

*Note: League, Challenge Cup, Irish Senior Cup, Ulster Cup, 2008 Twenty/20 finals, 2009 Twenty/20.