Weekend Review: Greater Manchester Cricket League

A mere seven days certainly made a huge difference in the GMCL.  After the season started the previous weekend in glorious weather the elements on Saturday were more akin to a December day. 

One of those involved Flowery Field who did get underway in their visit to Swinton Moorside.  The home side reached 40-0 in the 11 overs that were possible before the weather closed in.  The only other ground that saw the scorers put pen to paper was at Bury where Droylsden were the visitors.  In the 21 balls possible Bury got to 14-1.

So hopefully things will improve for the coming weekend.  Meanwhile after a number of Clubs were without their contracted professional on the first day there have been some arrivals in the intervening period. At Denton St Lawrence Neil Hornbuckle will make his DSL debut in the game at Monton.

In the meantime the GMCL have announced the structure of the League for 2020, which now gives teams in the various Divisions a clear indication of promotion and relegation system at the end of this season.  There is a fundamental change in that the current constitution of two Divisions at the 2^ndand 3^rdtier, (1A; 1B; 2A and 2B),) will disappear and be replaced by a hierarchy. At present there is the Premier Division and this will remain.  Four clubs will be relegated this season, being replaced by the top two in Divisions 1A and 1B. Together with the Clubs relegated from the Premier Division the Clubs placed from 3^rdto 6^thin each of 1A and 1B will form the Championship.  The current Division 2 level, (2A and 2B), will see two clubs promoted from each to join the 8 clubs, placed 7^thto 10^thin each of 1A and 1B, to form the new Division 1.  Below that there is a similar process.  The key principle is to introduce a hierarchy of 6 tiers in total.  The impact on Clubs will become clearer as the season progresses and the league tables start to form.  It could well lead to interesting situations where it is possible that a successful Club 2^ndXI in the current Division 3 could be promoted to a placing higher than their 1^stXI, currently in Division 2, should the latter be relegated!!  It’s definitely something for the League to consider.  (The diagram published by the GMCL is reproduced below)

Elsewhere, Hollinwood featured in Division 2B in 2018, but, having been left without a ground after issues with the powers that be at Lime Lane, spent the season hiring grounds. During the winter there were doubts that they could continue, and it was not until a matter of weeks before this season that this seemed to be resolved.  In the interim the GMCL had reinstated Ashton in Division 2B, (after their league placing in 2018 would have seen them relegated).  When it looked as though Hollinwood would continue they were placed in Division 5, but in the last week or so things seem to have taken another turn.  Hollinwood’s fixtures have disappeared off the schedule so it currently appears that a Club which was a member of the Saddleworth League from 1906 and subsequently a founder member of the Pennine League has temporarily, at least, folded.

By Martin Frost