Change could be coming to cricket in north of Scotland
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Change is likely for the North of Scotland Cricket Association in 2022, according to vice president Chris Blake.
For many, just being able to play cricket again this summer was a bonus considering very little action was possible in 2020 because of the pandemic.
However, having just five teams entering the Senior League set alarm bells ringing at Nosca early on, with that being by far the lowest number of participants for years.
So as far as Nosca are concerned, they are open to any and all ideas to try and resolve the issue for next year’s season.
“I would be very surprised if there weren’t changes for next year,” Blake said.
“Put plainly, we cannot continue the way that we did this year, so we need to make a change.
“What we’re going to do is speak to clubs and see what we can do to make life better for clubs, which will result in more teams playing in the Senior League.
“The Senior League is our premier league, and we need to bolster that in whatever way possible.
“We can look at start times, we can look at formats, and more importantly we can look at matchday – whether Saturday afternoon is the best time to be playing cricket or whether it should be a Sunday instead.
“There is a lot to consider, and we’re going to be considering all options.”
Blake says any changes will be member-led as there is no point in trying out new things that will lead to the same situation in future years, and he personally feels the differences between the Senior and Reserve Leagues mean changing the day of play is the most likely course of action.
“We need to look at what people want from their cricket, and we need to respond to that.
“We have seen the uptake of The Hundred in England, that has been really popular and it seems to be the trend formats are getting shorter rather than longer.
“Would that make it easier for players? Would it eat into their free time less? Would an earlier start help with that? Or, as I said, would playing on a Sunday help? These are all things we’re going to look at.”
