The changes in Scottish cricket's structure have been met with mixed reaction

IT WOULD be nice to predict that a winter of discontent is about to give way to a season of sweetness and light on our summer fields.

Nice – but probably fanciful.

While the country's footballers and rugby players struggled in sub-zero temperatures, cricket's administrators kept themselves warm during the dark months with heated debate over the issue of league reconstruction.

At times there seemed enough hot air to thaw frozen pitches at football grounds across the land.

In the end clubs voted to disband the current set-up of three ten-club divisions and in 2011 introduce a 14-team "Premiership" and 16-team "Championship".

An 18-12 majority in November, though, appeared to have been reduced by the time Cricket Scotland put its final proposals to its annual general meeting last month.

By then an extra two clubs had been introduced to the Premiership and a proposed SPL-style split had been replaced with four groups of four teams for the closing weeks of the season.

To many observers, these changes appeared significant, though the new blueprint was not put to a vote, Cricket Scotland arguing that the principle of "whole club development" which was at the heart of the proposals had already been endorsed by the majority.

Thus the domestic season, which bowls into action on Saturday, will be the last in the present format. The debate, though, rages on.

At least one club, who asked not to be identified, will lobby others throughout the summer with a view to overturning the decision next autumn.

Roddy Smith, Cricket Scotland's chief executive and a driving force behind the moves for change, is unrepentant.

Smith meets the challenges of high office in the hard-hitting way that saw him pile up the runs with Aberdeenshire and Grange.

He argues that reconstruction was inevitable and is a result of a changing cricketing landscape in which the national team has a vastly increased programme compared with a decade ago when the Scottish National Cricket League was introduced.

He said: "The fact is that we needed change and the majority of clubs seem happy with what we have done.

"We were never going to get a solution that pleased everyone and we have altered our original proposals in response to feedback.

"The key point is that the SNCL is the top of the recreational game in the country.

"It is not the finishing ground for potential Scotland players but the breeding ground.

"History shows that almost all clubs go through peaks and troughs and we want to have a structure in place that gives them stability to cope when the dips come along.

"Whole club development is about clubs catering for all members who want to play recreationally. It is also about investing in facilities, players, coaches and umpires."

Cricket Scotland is certainly putting its money where its mouth is by offering clubs up to 3,000 towards the appointment of a qualified coach. The governing body has also introduced a Regional Series to bridge the gap for the top players between league and representative cricket.

Smith added: "We now have a natural pathway for players to join the club structure as kids and go through our regional academies and eventually graduate to the Saltires set-up.

"Of course the top players are playing less club cricket than before but that is an inevitable consequence of how our international commitments have increased."

On the attack for the opposition, Uddingtson skipper Ricky Bawa fired a few bouncers back.

Bawa said: "We feel the present ten-team divisions have lots of benefits and there would need to be a very good reason to change it.

"In our opinion there is not a good reason.

"I played in the old Western Union before the national league was formed and there is no doubt that the last ten years have offered the most competitive level of club cricket we have ever had. It looks to me as if club cricket will be devalued and there will be a lot of meaningless games.

"I am not speaking out of self-interest because increasing the top flight to 16 teams means Uddingston are less likely to be relegated. I just don't think the standard of cricket will be so good."

The immediate consequence of reconstruction is that there will be no relegation from the Premier Division this season and the top six first division sides will join the 2011 Premiership.

Aberdeenshire, an outfit who have long embraced the principles of "whole club development", open the defence of their title at newcomers Dunfermline.