It's here! With less than ten weeks to the start of the 2018 Cricket Leinster season, the league structure for the Open Competitions (those league open to all players irrespective of gender or age) has been announced.
The announcement has been held up by the news that North Kildare 1 wanted to be moved down to Division 3, along with the Open Competitions Committee's desire for a solution for Division 2 that satsified as many parties as possible.
That solution in Division 2 sees the Southern Stags play in 2018, a Munster Development team made of of players in Munster who do not play for Cork County. The Stags are one of six new teams entering the league, meaning that 130 teams will start the season - and if all 130 finish the season, it will make the league the biggest in Cricket Leinster's history (beating the 128 teams that finished 2015).
Those new teams come from clubs across the province, from clubs old and new - Leinster 6, Longford 3, Lucan 2, Tyrrelstown 2, Adamstown 6 and Wexford Wanderers 2. There have also been five teams who were promoted multiple divisions after dominant displays in 2017 - Dublin University 2, Ashbourne 1, Balbriggan 3, Tyrrelstown 1 and AIB 1.
The Development League - which aims to introduce youth team players to adult cricket at the same time as welcoming back former players to the sport, has been brought under the wing of the OCC - has another twelve teams. The Division 1 and 2 fixtures will be published shortly, with all other fixtures currently in the process of being made - with a view to being published in mid March.
A full FAQ on the promotion and relegation procedure was prepared by Michael Sharp in 2012, and can be read here
Division 1. Leinster 1, Clontarf 1, The Hills 1, YMCA 1, North County 1, Phoenix 1, Pembroke 1, Merrion 1
Promoted from Division 2 - Merrion 1
Other ins and outs - Dublin University 1 not promoted as runner-up in Division 2
Division 2. Cork County 1, Dublin University 1, Malahide 1, Balbriggan 1. Railway Union 1, Rush 1, Terenure 1, Southern Stags 1
Relegated from Division 1 - Cork County 1
Promoted from Division 3 - none
Other ins and outs - North Kildare 1 requested to be relegated. After much discussion with clubs, a Munster development team, named the "Southern Stags" will play in Division 2 for 2018 only.
Division 3. (Nine team division) YMCA 2, Merrion 2, Clontarf 2, Pembroke 2, Leinster 2, Phoenix 2, The Hills 2, North Kildare 1, North County 2
Relegated from Division 2 - North Kildare 1
Promoted from Division 4 - North County 2
Other ins and outs - see Division 2 notes
Division 4. Laois 1, Railway Union 2, Civil Service 1, DLR County 1, Merrion 3, Knockharley 1, Malahide 2, Clontarf 3
Relegated from Division 3 - Malahide 2
Promoted from Division 5 - Clontarf 3
Other ins and outs - Longford 1 not promoted as Division 5 champions due to inadequate ground facilities. Only one team relegated from Division 4, so Civil Service 1 not relegated.
Division 5. (Nine team division) Phoenix 3, YMCA 3, Merrion 4, Pembroke 3, Longford 1, Adamstown 1, Balbriggan 2, Castleknock 1, Rush 2
Relegated from Division 4 - Phoenix 3
Promoted from Division 6 - Castleknock 1 & Rush 2
Other ins and outs - Greystones 1 relegated to Division 7 at club's request.
Division 6. Leinster 3, Mullingar 1, Malahide 3, Railway Union 3, Merrion 5, Terenure 2, Bagenalstown 1, Wexford Wanderers 1
Relegated from Division 5 - Leinster 3
Promoted from Division 7 - Bagenalstown 1 and Wexford Wanderers 1
Other ins and outs - Terenure 2 not relegated after finishing 7th in 2017
Division 7. Greystones 1, North Kildare 2, DLR County 2, Ringcommons 1, Sandyford 1, Clontarf 4, Adamstown 2, Dublin University 2
Relegated from Division 6 - Sandyford 1
Promoted from Division 8 - Clontarf 4 & Adamstown 2
Other ins and outs - YMCA 4 relegated to Division 11 at club's request. Dublin University 2 promoted two divisions as Division 9 champions
Division 8. Laois 2, Pembroke 4, Knockharley 2, The Hills 3, Swords 1, Wicklow County 1, Ashbourne 1, North County 3
Relegated from Division 7 - Laois 2 & North County 3
Promoted from Division 9 - Wicklow County 1 promoted as Division 9 runner-up.
Other ins and outs - Ashbourne 1 promoted three divisions as Division 11 champions
Division 9. Leinster 4, Carlow 1, Phoenix 4, Malahide 4, Slieve Bloom 1, Dundalk 1, Clondalkin 1, Longford 2
Relegated from Division 8 - Leinster 4
Promoted from Division 10 - Dundalk 1 promoted as Division 10 runner-up. Clondalkin 1 promoted from 3rd place in Division 10. Longford 2 promoted from 4th place in Division 10
Other ins and outs - Slieve Bloom 1 not relegated after finishing 6th in 2017
Division 10. Civil Service 2, Adamstown 3, Castleknock 2, Mullingar 2, DLR County 3, Lucan 1, Balbriggan 3, Tyrrelstown 1
Relegated from Division 9 - Civil Service 2 2
Promoted from Division 11 - Lucan 1 promoted as Division 11 runner-up
Others ins and outs - Balbriggan 3 promoted two divisions as Division 12 champions. Tyrrelstown 1 promoted five divisions as Division 15 champions. Greystones 2 relegated to Division 13 at club's request
Division 11. YMCA 4, Clontarf 5, Rush 3, Merrion 6, The Hills 4, North Kildare 3, Sandyford 2, Civil Service 3
Relegated from Division 10 - None
Promoted from Division 12 - Sandyford 2 promoted as Division 12 runner-up. Civil Service 3 promoted from 3rd in Division 12
Other ins and outs - YMCA 4 relegated from Division 7 at club's request. Terenure 3 relegated to Division 13 at club's request
Division 12. Leinster 5, Merrion 7, North County 4, Swords 2, Halverstown 1, Bagenalstown 2, Lucan 2, AIB 1
Relegated from Division 11 - None
Promoted from Division 13 - Halverstown 1 & Bagenalstown 2
Other ins and outs - AIB 1 promoted two divisions as Division 14 champions. Lucan 2 enter the league as a new team.
Division 13. Phoenix 5, Pembroke 5, Greystones 2, Malahide 5, Dublin University 3, Wicklow County 2, Terenure 3, Adamstown 4
Relegated from Division 12 - Phoenix 5
Promoted from Division 14 - Adamstown 4 promoted as Division 14 runner-up
Other ins and outs - Greystones 2 relegated from Division 10 at club's request. Terenure 3 relegated from Division 11 at club's request
Division 14. Gorey 1, Laois 3, Railway Union 4, Castleknock 3, Clontarf 6, Knockharley 3, Tyrrelstown 2, Wexford Wanderers 2
Relegated from Division 13 - None
Promoted from Division 15 - Knockharley 3 promoted as Division 15 runner-up.
Other ins and outs - Tyrrelstown 2 enter the league as a new team. Wexford Wanderers 2 re-enter the league after several years absence.
Division 15. Greystones 3, Carlow 2, North Kildare 4, Mullingar 3, Merrion 8, Bagenalstown 3, Leinster 6, Adamstown 5
Relegated from Division 14 - None
Promoted from Division 16 - Bagenalstown 3 & Leinster 6
Other ins and outs - Greystones 3 relegated from Division 13 at club's request.
Division 16. Ringcommons 2, Civil Service 4, Adamstown 5, Balbriggan 4, Ashbourne 2, Clondalkin 2, Leinster 7, Longford 3, Adamstown 6
Relegated from Division 15 - Ringcommons 2
Other ins and outs - Leinster 7 re-enter the league after several years absence. Longford 3 and Adamstown 6 enter the league as a new teams.
Development League. Railway Union/Terenure, Leinster, The Hills, North Kildare, Rush, Malahide, Adamstown, Phoenix, Mullingar, Clondalkin, Bagenalstown/Carlow