EL top flight back up to seven teams?

THE top flight of the Evening League is set to undergo a major overhaul.

Will Peatfield bowling a short ball to his brother CJ Peatfield in this year's Odey Wealth Evening League One in which they were playing for Cobo and Barbarians respectively. Both also turned out for Independents in Division Two and could be set to play for Indies together in the top flight next season. (Picture by Martin Gray, 25955071)

As part of a proposal sent out to clubs regarding the domestic cricket structure from next season, EL1 would grow to seven teams with four clubs ‘promoted’ to join the established trio of Cobo, Griffins and Rovers.

Reigning Division Two champions Independents would be joined in going up by Irregulars, Wanderers and Optimists under the proposal

‘With Barbarians not carrying on next year, something has to happen because effectively as things stand we have only got three teams in Division One,’ said Guernsey Cricket Board Mark Latter.

‘Getting a Division Two team to be promoted in isolation has been difficult [in recent years] because they are wary of getting whacked each week by your Cobos and your Griffins, but if you have got strength in numbers in terms of the teams coming up, they know they are still going to get competitive games.

‘Also at the moment you have the dual allegiances where some guys are playing for a club in Division One and someone else in Division Two, for example the likes of Nathan Le Tissier and Will Peatfield.

‘I would imagine that with his family ties being with Independents, Will would play for them rather than Cobo [in a seven-team Division One], so naturally you are pulling the strength down through the teams and across the board you are getting more competition.’

From the initial feedback he has received, Latter reported that there have been no dissenting voices, but the proposal still has to be ratified by the board before anything is formally agreed at the GCB annual meeting in December.

The proposal would also see EL1 return to being played on an artificial wicket, with a T20 Weekend Trophy competition being played in the first half of the season between Cobo, Griffins and Wanderers Irregulars with two games on a Saturday over three weekends, one team playing a double-header, before a final.

There is also the possibility of a 50-over, red-ball GCA Cup played before the CI League, but that would depend on Guernsey’s ICC commitments.

The island side will be playing in the regional qualifiers for the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup, looking to progress once again to the Europe Final.

However, the GCB have to wait to find out where and when Guernsey will be in action because a lot depends on who is relegated from this month’s Global Qualifier for the 2020 event.