“Acting on feedback from its member clubs, the MSL management committee investigated a possible restructure of its lower divisions.

"Up to and including 2020, Divisions 7 and 8 have always been regionalised in an attempt to facilitate shorter travelling times. However, regrettably, the reality was that travelling times were still too long and, with increasingly scattered teams around the County, the regionalised divisions, as they are known, do not fit their brief.

"With the support of the Somerset Cricket Board, the MSL SCL came up with a proposal to amalgamate Divisions 7 and 8 into four divisions at Division 7 level. Each division would comprise 9 teams based on their locality - with the champions of each division being promoted to Division 6. The result of this re-organisation reduces average travelling times down to approximately 30 minutes or less.

At a Zoom meeting on Thursday 21st January, clubs in Divisions 7 and 8 overwhelmingly voted in favour of the new structure and associated rule changes.

MSL Chairman, Edward Martin, said: “There was overwhelming support for the proposed changes that will significantly reduce travel and allow a better match day experience, both on and off the field of play to be implemented.

"The League hopes that it will also redress some of the points that Somerset Cricket Board’s analysis of the last two regular seasons (2018 and 2019) yielded and so make this area of the League, which is an entry point into the senior game, the best place for young players to step into adult cricket.”

The MSL would like to thank the SCB for their help and assistance, and also the clubs who positively engaged in the discussions which took place.”