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It's all change in The Oxford Times Cherwell League this season with new playing rules and a different points system.

After clubs voted for change, the Cherwell have aligned themselves with the Home Counties Premier League.

Instead of 50 overs-a-side games in Divisions 1-6, the split will now be 52-48 in favour of the side batting first.

Meanwhile, games in Divisions 7-9 will have a 47-45 split.

The strict interpretation of legside wides disappears along with fielding circles.

League secretary Peter Tomlin said the changes had been driven by the likes of Oxford and Banbury, and aimed to give clubs a better chance of survival following promotion from the Cherwell.

"The thinking has come mostly from clubs in the top divisions," he explained.

"I think it has been proved that clubs who have not played this kind of cricket and get promoted into the Home Counties Premier League take half a season to get used to it.

"By then it can be too late to save them and they can end up coming back down."

Indeed the likes of Aston Rowant and Bicester & North Oxford have become real yo-yo clubs in recent seasons, mixing promotion from the Cherwell with relegation from the Home Counties.

Tomlin denied suggestions that the new playing rules could lead to more negative cricket.

"I don't think so," he said. "If you look at the situation in the Home Counties Premier League since it started the amount of drawn games is probably less than you had in some of the feeder leagues.

"It is what clubs have said to us. We did do a survey of all the clubs and there was a good majority for changing the system.

"We didn't do it off the top of our heads. It is time cricket limited by overs - it is not limited overs cricket.

"The match can last for more than 100 overs - it will finish at 7.30 or when 100 overs have been bowled, whichever is the later.

"If at 7.30 only 95 overs have been bowled then you will have to bowl the other five, and if at 7.15 you have bowled 100 then you could end up bowling 105 or 106 overs."

Tomlin added: "Clubs have got to play it and not make a decision on it until they have had a season of it," he said.

"It will be different and they will have to adjust to it."

He said one change which should be welcomed was that it would be an advantage to win the toss whereas under the old rules, it was often seen as a disadvantage.

Registration has also been scrapped for teams playing in Divisions 7-9 to help clubs field sides.

"If a team needs to bring someone in at the last moment as long as they are club members they can play at that level," explained Tomlin.

"If they want to play at a higher level they must be registered."

The league have also adopted the Homes Counties points system.

11:32am Thursday 8th May 2008

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