Dear Sir,

Here’s my two cents’ worth as to how local cricket might be considered being formatted for the upcoming cricket season.

I read a recent column by Clay Smith in The Royal Gazette in which he suggested that the Bermuda Cricket Board revert to two seven-team divisions, indicating upper and lower tiers much in the format long adopted by its fellow national sport, football.

A logical move, if not terribly original, and perhaps that which I am about to put forward similarly threatens imitation — but as it seems all else has been attempted to reinvigorate this diminished pastime — and the Bible does point to there being “nothing new under the sun” — here’s an offering from one who never played but certainly has an affinity with the gentlemen’s game.

Yet, before I get into matters of any league formatting, let us dismiss totally the notion of open cricket and its rumoured — at least under the Bermuda model — benefits for developing patient batting technique, bowling craft, fielding tactics, pitch analysis, coin toss decision making, et al.

Let me digress and bring forth Cup Match as Exhibit A of our nonsensical perpetration of the sport, whereby the production of a pitch which deteriorates appreciably by first day’s end is not only accepted but expected.

Add to this the apparent fact that even former players turned commentators believe there to be but two definitive results to an open cricket match — a win or loss — while dismissing the reality of a tie or draw being equally so and matters become downright embarrassing.

And we don’t even want to touch upon the mathematical genius of the Eastern Counties design team and its version of the 60-40 rule, one we would do well to hide from anyone that more than casually follows the sport.

Be that as it may, both Cup Match and the Eastern Counties must be considered in formulating the new league format as they yet garner the most interest in spite of their idiocy, after which fan interest and so the season regularly peters out towards six-month hibernation.

The goal of what I am suggesting is to maintain support throughout the six-month period, so I say let us look at cricket in three stages or sections; initial (league), middle (Cup Match and Eastern Counties) and final (Twenty20) while utilising divisional formats that have proven successful for many years in North America.

Basically, we would have all league matches completed prior to Cup Match and Eastern Counties finals and would feature two seven-team leagues — East and West — playing ten matches — six among themselves; four interleague with the top three in each qualifying for the play-offs where the East and West winners have a bye into their respective division championship, as the other four battle in wild-card matches, followed by an overall title match taking place while there is still interest in sitting in the heat watching low-level fare.

Next up we have Cup Match and Eastern Counties and their “unique” formatting previously disgusted ... err, discussed.

Finally, we give our microwave cricket aficionados and those having attention deficiency issues the opportunity to hold up boundary placards during a Twenty20 competition that may or may not follow a divisional set-up akin to the initial league, just as long as balls keep clearing the ropes with startling regularity, while women scream and men spill their beverages during the frenzy, which would involve day and night, weekend and midweek affairs

There you have it — my cricket rescue.

PATRICK M BEAN SR