Photo Credit: Professional Cricketers’ Association
Championship will move to the 10:8 structure that was agreed by the First-Class Counties prior to the pandemic.
The PCA supports the return of a two division format in the LV= Insurance County Championship from 2022 following a vote by the 18 First-Class Counties.
After two Covid-affected seasons, the Championship will move to the 10:8 structure that was agreed by the First-Class Counties prior to the pandemic with teams in the division that they had qualified for based on the 2019 standings.2022 LV= Insurance County Championship structure:
- Counties will play in two divisions. There will be 10 counties in Division One and eight in Division Two with a two-up, two-down promotion-and-relegation system.
- Each county will play 14 LV= Insurance County Championship matches.
- The counties will be placed into the division that they had qualified to compete in had the 2020 LV= Insurance County Championship taken place.
Current men’s players were surveyed by the PCA in August to determine the players’ stance with 67% believing a return to two divisions is the best outcome for the future of the four-day competition.
“With 67% of our current male professionals stating they wanted a return to two divisions as soon as possible, this was the best outcome for our members.”
ROB LYNCH
In addition to the player survey, feedback from the PCA Players’ Committee was gathered and presented to the ECB Player Working Group to ensure player views were represented ahead of the vote by the First-Class Chairs earlier this week.
Amongst the playing group, there were mixed views on the best option for allocating counties back to the two divisions. Out of the options provided by the PCA, the 2019 Championship standings was the preferred option opposed to having one further year of the conference-style system.
PCA Chief Executive, Rob Lynch, said: “The PCA is supportive of the return to a two divisional structure for the LV= Insurance County Championship, with the decision made following player consultation.
“We acknowledge that there was no perfect solution across our membership and some teams and players will be disappointed. However, with 67% of our current male professionals stating they wanted a return to two divisions as soon as possible, this was the best outcome for our members.
“The PCA is comfortable with the consultation and voting process in line with ECB Constitution and we look forward to returning to two divisions in First-Class cricket in 2022 and beyond.”
The Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA), founded in 1967 by former England fast bowler Fred Rumsey as the Cricketers’ Association, represents past and present first-class cricketers in England and Wales. In the 1970s, the PCA established a standard employment contract and minimum wage for professional cricketers. It also helped create a pension scheme in 1995 and launched the magazine All Out Cricket and the ACE UK Educational Programme in 2002.
