Hoyt Zuill, the organiser of the inaugural Masters Twenty20 Cricket League, has dropped the age limit from 45 to 40 in a bid to add some younger and fitter players to the league.

So far 78 players have put their names forward to play on one of the six teams in the league, including wicketkeepers Allan Douglas Sr, Dean Minors, Winston Simmons, Treadwell Gibbons Sr, Antoine Greene and Gladwin Edness.

“I had talks with a few guys who asked me to consider dropping the age so on Saturday I dropped it to 40,” Zuill said.

“A lot of spectators are waiting for it, every day people are asking when we’re starting. I have a date for the actual draft, just need a location. I got the OK from Somerset Cricket Club who agreed we can use their field for the Friday night games.”

Matches will also be played on Saturdays at Lord’s and Sea Breeze Oval.

Evening and Commercial League players are encouraged to join, as are women, with the over-45 age restriction lifted for them.

The league will have teams named after former cricket legends such as Woodgate Simmons and Leroy “Tubby” Richardson. The other four teams will be named after Lloyd James, Calvin “Bummy” Symonds, Randy Butler and the late Warrington Zuill, a Cup Match historian.

The league will run from June to September and the deadline for players to sign up is the end of this month. They can do so by contacting Zuill on 236-0589 or 504-4698.