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Focus returns to limited overs

Open League has been scrapped for the upcoming season, according to the schedule released by the Bermuda Cricket Board.

The season will begin on the weekend of May 11 and 12, three weeks later than last season’s start when the first few weeks of the season were taken up by the Open League in the two divisions. Southampton Rangers won the Open League Premier Division last season, while PHC claimed the First Division title.

However, this season’s focus has switched to back to limited overs and Twenty20 with the ICC T20 Americas qualifying tournament set to be held in Bermuda in August.

The One 50 Overs competition will start in two weeks’ time with matches on the Saturday and Sunday as Rangers, the defending champions meet Cleveland County, last season’s First Division champions, at the National Stadium on the Saturday and then host Flatts, the other promoted team, the next day.

The 50 Overs competition will be held for three weekends before the T20 competition starts on June 1 and goes through to July 14, alternating with the One 50 Overs competition, which resumes on June 30 and finishes on September 8.

The opening county match will be the Central Counties, which starts on May 18 with Tuff Dogs beginning the defence of their title against Western Stars, the team they dethroned in May last year when they became the first Evening League team to win a Central Counties match.

North Village, another Evening League team, will play the winners in the second round on June 8 before Devonshire Recreation Club play the eventual winners on June 22. All the matches will be played at St John’s Field.

The Western Counties will start on July 6 with Southampton Rangers opening the defence of their title against Somerset Bridge at PHC Field, with the host team playing the winners in the second round the next weekend.

Willow Cuts will play on August 10 with Warwick meeting the winners in the final on August 24. St David’s will host the three Eastern Counties matches this season with the draw, made after last year’s final at Sea Breeze Oval, pitting holders St David’s against Bailey’s Bay in the first round on July 20.

Cleveland play in the second round on August 17 and Flatts in the final August 31.

The Champion of Champions competition, which involved the three counties champions and only returned in 2015, has been scrapped again as it is not listed in the schedule. Last year the Combined counties call off the competition for an apparent lack of interest.

The season is set to end on September 14 with the 50 Overs play-off match between the second-from-bottom team in the Premier Division and the team finishing second in the First Division. The match will be played at Sea Breeze Oval.

Last season Flatts became the first team from the First Division to win the promotion/relegation play-off after beating Western Stars by four wickets at PHC Field.

Saturday, May 11

50 Overs League

Premier Division

St David’s v St George’s (St David’s)

Cleveland v Southampton (National Stadium)

Bailey’s Bay v Flatts (Sea Breeze Oval)

First Division

Warwick v Western Stars (Southampton Oval)

Willow Cuts v Somerset Bridge (Somerset CC)

Devonshire Rec v PHC (Devonshire Rec)

Sunday, May 12

Premier Division

St David’s v Bailey’s Bay (St David’s)

Southampton v Flatts (Southampton Oval)

St George’s v Cleveland (Wellington Oval)

First Division

Somerset v Devonshire Rec (Somerset CC)

Somerset Bridge v Warwick (White Hill Field)

PHC v Willow Cuts (PHC Field)