SPCL to hold meeting to discuss time cricket

The Southern Electric Premier League's time cricket `summit' - when captains will debate whether to continue to play all-day matches in mid-summer - takes place at the Rose Bowl on Thursday evening.

Indications are that the present split format - whereby nine `time' matches, starting at 11.30am, are played in June and July either side of two separate blocks of 50-over cricket - will continue.

But the vote could be tight.

It will need a two-third's majority of this season's Premier 1 captains to change the format, but the likelihood is that at least four or five clubs will vote for a status-quo situation.

Premier League clubs have already been warned by league chairman Alan Bundy that ECB accreditation will be lost if all-day `time' cricket is scrapped.

The SPL's present sponsorship arrangement with Southern Electric - which the league hopes to extend - could also be jeopardised.

Players have had all season to mull over whether they want to continue with the lengthy, often arduous Time game and revert to 50-over cricket.

Now comes the crunch vote.

Although 75pc of the players canvassed last season gave the thumbs up to the present format, there appears to less enthusiasm for the longer game in some quarters, primarily because it takes up an entire vacational day.

All-day cricket, commitment to which effectively begins at breakfast time, is certainly not an ideal scenario for the cricketer with a wife and young family.

Indeed, across the country, Premier Leagues are becoming a single-man's province.

And in virtually every other county flying the ECB banner, they play all-day cricket, with a minimum off 55 overs per side.

Many league play longer than that - and all summer long, not just nine weeks.

But aren't we talking about the top recreational cricket - and cricketers - in the region ?

Some clubs, mainly the struggling ones, are often pressed to field their best available sides in all-day games because players have to work on Saturday mornings.

But that, surely, gives opportunities to younger players to dip their toes into good standard club cricket and help them develop.

The presence of the Academy team in the structure means that a dozen or so promising youngsters get Premier 1 cricket on a regular basis.

Away from the Rose Bowl, Havant recently fielded Chris Morgan, a highly promising 14-year old left-arm spinner, Andover have blooded several youngsters during the season and South Wilts have given opportunities to James Hayward and Lysander Wolf, who only sat their GCSE's this summer.

The Southern Premier League has an important development role to play - and the presence of these lads playing at this level, alongside the experienced club cricketers, is surely what it is all about.

Some clubs might like to reflect on the past four seasons of Premier cricket and assess how they have actually played the all-day game.

Have they been positive or negative in their approach ?

Apart from Tony Middleton's Academy youngsters, the bulk of the present crop of Premier League players have been force-fed limited-overs cricket since they first picked up a bat.

Consequently, they've comparatively little experience of how to go about bowling sides out with two spinners on a good track after a decent first innings total has been posted.

The Sundays when Havant and the likes of Southampton Touring Club played quality all-day cricket have long gone - and sadly it hasn't helped the development of the game.

Havant, whose club captain Mark Readman initiated the split format, have gone full circle and have asked that the all-day cricket to be scrapped altogether.

The Premier League management wants the existing four-year split format to continue.

"Both we and the ECB believe that Time cricket is a very important part of helping to develop our best young cricketers and providing a challenging and enjoyable game for all Premier League players," emphasised chairman Bundy in a recent letter to clubs.

The likelihood is that the clubs themselves will be split on which way to vote come Thursday evening.

Champions-designate BAT Sports, Bashley (Rydal), Bournemouth, Liphook & Ripsley and the Hampshire Academy will probably want the present format to continue. The other five may not.

The SPL gets roughly £8,500 per annum from the ECB - mainly to cover administration and lunches - but accreditation, in terms of the "three lions" logo, can be invaluable to the league and clubs in attracting much needed sponsorship.

Thursday's meeting could be an all-day affair in itself.

It certainly promises to be interesting !