Aaron Adams, the experienced Cleveland County batsman, is calling for changes to be made to the Eastern Counties qualification rules after Kevin Hurdle became ineligible for Flatts this season, having left the team to play for St David’s in the Logic Premier Division.

Hurdle remained eligible to play in the Eastern Counties for Flatts as long as he continued to play for them in the league, but must now serve another qualification period because he left the club.

Adams believes that the rule needs rethinking as it hurts a club like Flatts who have a small pool of players to select from.

“If they have played for Flatts already, guys like Hurdle, then let them play,” said Adams, supporting the statement made by Clay Smith, the Cleveland coach, in his weekly Royal Gazette column.

“I think it is crazy for them not to be able to play and their team is weakened dramatically. Cleveland’s boundary is Knapton Hill and Tucker’s Town but nobody has played from Knapton Hill since Allan Douglas, Kevin Ratteray and Dennis Wainwright Jr, so our boundary is thin and Flatts’ is thin.”

Adams, who achieved a lifelong dream of playing in a cup winning Cleveland team in the first round against St David’s, missed the final against Flatts because he was in New Jersey playing in the annual Bermuda match against a team of West Indians. The Bermuda team won by eight wickets after restricting their opponents to 130 in 40 overs. Ricky Hill scored 40 and Adams 34 not out.

Adams also wants to see the Eastern Counties change to 60 overs per team from the 70-48 format they use at present.

“When we defended the cup with Bailey’s Bay, holding on for a draw, right after the game I said this is not fair with the game called off [rain] with daylight bright as could be and six or seven overs left on the board,” Adams said.

“I said it needs to be 60-60 and the Bay people were saying the same thing. It needs to be 60-60, not just for the players but the fans.”

Helping Cleveland to win the cup for the first time in 33 years is the highlight of Adams’s career, coming two years after he officially retired from the county cricket.

“It was awesome and special thanks to Allan Douglas Jr, the skipper,” Adams said. “I came back and made 62 the first game and he said, ‘Look, you’re playing county.’ I just thank the young guys who had confidence in me.”