The Belco Cup is reverting to four teams when the 2015 competition is held next month, Bermuda Cricket Board have confirmed.

The popular early-season tournament which involved the top four teams from the previous season since it began as the Premier Cup back in 1987, was switched last season to involve ten teams over three weekends.

However, yesterday Nyon Steede, the BCB vice president conceded that the format did not work and that the Board and sponsors Belco have agreed that the competition will go back to four teams.

“We’re going back to the four teams because we have a lot of cricket that is planned for this year,” Steede said. “What they were looking to achieve with the format last year didn’t happen, this makes it more exciting and gives the top teams something more to play for.”

The decision to involve more teams last year did not go down well with the top clubs, including then defending champions Southampton Rangers whose coach Ricky Brangman urged a rethink on the format switch which the sponsors said was made to “involve more of the community in the tournament”.

“The format change didn’t benefit cricket, and the sponsors saw that as well,” Steede said. “They were amiable to going back to the old format. Belco was looking at what was best for cricket and were willing to support the change back.

“You get a bigger bang with the old format as far as the hype and excitement. It keeps it very prestigious, not just anybody can make it to the Belco Cup.”

The plan is to hold the Belco Cup after one round of league games have been played, but the start to the season, anticipated for early May, has not been confirmed because, once again, the wickets at some grounds are still not ready after a long season of football.

The BCB had hoped to begin domestic cricket early, by late April, but football’s season ended later because of World Cup qualifying matches.

“We’re trying to find out if clubs have their pitch ready and are having a hard time getting a definitive yes or no from the clubs so that we can definitely start on this date,” said Steede. “They are looking to have one [round] game before the Belco Cup.”

Some grounds are already ready, like St David’s where the national squad will play an inter-squad T20 match tomorrow involving some under-19 players, and Southampton Oval which both closed in mid-March to prepare for cricket. Two other grounds, Wellington Oval and PHC Field, hosted football matches up to April 5. St David’s ended a 12-year wait by winning the Belco Cup last year, beating Willow Cuts by seven wickets in the final. Southampton Rangers have been the dominant team since the tournament became the Belco Cup in 2003, winning eight of the twelve finals.

St David’s, Rangers, Bailey’s Bay and Willow Cuts will play in this year’s tournament after finishing in that order in the Premier Division last season. After this year the top division will be one team shorter as the BCB have already revealed plans to reduce the Premier Division from seven to six teams for the 2016 season.