Southern Premier League Division 1 clubs have narrowly voted to ditch traditional red ball cricket in favour of using a white ball and wearing coloured kit for their 50-over matches in 2023.
A proposal for the second tier of the competition to go ‘white’ got a 6-4 majority vote from the ten SPL1 clubs at last night's annual general meeting.
‘White ball’ cricket for is for all 18 matches throughout the summer, with clubs receiving a £300 grant from the SPL to offset the cost of buying coloured cladding/stockings for pads. Players will not be allowed to wear white pads in matches.
Season-long 'white ball' cricket will only be for Division 1. The ECB Premier Division will continue with a mix of 50-over/all-day 'time' matches using white and traditional cricket balls. Division 2 and 3 will continue to use a red ball in their limited-over games.
Cladding: www.cricket-hockey.com/en/clads-4-batting-pads
The Southern Premier and Hampshire League are scheduled to commence on May 6 next year, but the start date coincides with the coronation of King Charles III, which could have an impact on fixture planning and start times. Both league are awaiting clarification from the ECB on a start date.