Bermuda Cricket Board’s (BCB) 50-Over Premier Division will comprise of six teams this summer,

The Royal Gazette can confirm.

Local clubs have already given the new league structure their blessing.

The new format for top flight 50-over cricket had been initially rejected by some clubs when it was first proposed last year.

This year’s Premier Division will now consist of defending league champs St David’s, Bailey’s Bay, Devonshire, Willow Cuts, Southampton Rangers and newly promoted Cleveland County.

The two lowest finishers in the Premier Division at the end of the season will be relegated while the top two teams in the First Division will gain promotion to the top tier.

A bonus points system for both leagues has yet to be confirmed.

The primary objective of a six-team Premier Division is to ensure that the Island’s elite players are playing amongst themselves to help them reach their full potential.

It is hoped this in turn will bolster a senior national programme that has been in decline since Bermuda appeared at the 2007 ICC World Cup in the Caribbean.

Clubs have also agreed to wear white clothing and use red balls in all limited over matches during the upcoming season.

The proposal to reintroduce red balls came about to avoid having clubs pay extra in the current economic climate for the purchase and use of two white balls for 50-over matches as mandated by the ICC last year.

This summer will also see Premier and First Division teams compete in a combined 50-over knockout tournament.

Meanwhile, another proposal that has yet to be ratified could see players from the Western, Central and Eastern Zones compete in a separate 50-over league this summer.

The 2012 cricket schedule is tentatively scheduled to commence the first weekend in May with a proposed T20 competition involving Premier and First Division teams.