Cricket league plans streamlined

The best South Yorkshire Senior League clubs are set to join the area's Yorkshire League clubs and two Central Yorkshire League outfits in a new ECB Premier Division South in 2016.

But instead of five SYSL clubs making the step up, as was originally intended, it is now proposed that the number is trimmed to three and the elite division plan scaled down from 14 to 12 clubs.

That is to help prevent a harmful knock-on effect right through the SYL divisions which would have necessitated relegating three and in some cases four teams and promoting one down the ladder to balance numbers.

SYSL officials didn't consider that fair to their member clubs, numbers of which have been boosted this year by the amalgamation with the South Yorkshire Alliance League.

Premier League teams were due to give their opinions on the changes last night and it is hoped that they will be accepted.

Terry Bentham, chairman of the South Yorkshire Senior League, said: "We have a duty to all our clubs and we don't think it is fair to have to alter things so radically. Also, with only one promotion place available through the leagues, it wouldn't have helped the level of competition through the season."

It is proposed that the three teams who finish top of the SYSL's Premier Division this year will now go up to the ECB division in 2016 and join Yorkshire League outfits Rotherham Town, Sheffield United, Sheffield Collegiate, Barnsley, Doncaster and Appleby Frodingham and two Central Yorkshire Clubs to be drawn from either Townville, Wakefield Thornes or Methley.

The only route into the ECB Premier Division South will be via the South Yorkshire Senior League and there will be promotion and relegation each year, with two going up and two coming down.