SO here we go with the brave new world...after a winter of debate, discussion and countless posts on message boards the cricket is ready to take centre stage.

But for 2014 the Houldsworth Solicitors Ribblesdale League will have a different shape - and we can only hope that it works.

This time last year players were ironing their whites and full of anticipation for a season that would end in unfortunate relegation for the bottom two.

Come September and there was talk of mutiny with not many people wanting to see the eventual bottom two Padiham and Cherry Tree cast adrift from the Senior League.

Finally a compromise was reached and for this year the Senior League will consist of two sections, called fittingly enough ‘A’ and ‘B’.

The ‘A’ Section comprises of the top nine from last season with the ‘B’ Section the bottom seven plus Brinscall, who have finally got their call into the Senior League after an age trying.

The new set-up means that there is automatic promotion within the Senior League, two up, two down, but there will be no automatic relegation into Division One.

However, the bottom two in the ‘B’ Section will have to apply for re-election.

Teams in ‘A’ will play each other twice and those from ‘B’ once giving them 24 games, while those in ‘B’ face each other twice and those in ‘A’ once for a total of 23 matches.

If it seems slightly complicated, take a moment to sympathise with the league chiefs who spent the winter filling up waste bins with reams of paper as they attempted to work out what was best.

Whatever happens, the arguments can now cease and the cricket can begin... that’s what we all want.