CRICKETERS in this season’s South Shropshire Twenty 20 League will have a chance to gain representative honours.

The award-winning competition will be fielding a league side this summer against representative teams from the Shrewsbury and Evening District League and the Broseley Bash League.

A Champions day is also being planned with the winners of South Shropshire League taking on the winners of the Shrewsbury League, Broseley League and North Telford League.

South Shropshire Twenty 20 League organiser Matt Porter said: “The 11 players who will play in our representative team will involve at least 11 players from every team in our league. I think we will have to sit down as a league and maybe take a representative from each club to deciding what to do.”

The first representative fixture is being arranged for a Thursday night at Ludlow in mid-July fixture.

Porter is thrilled the league has been named the ‘Best league in Shropshire’ at the Shropshire Cricket Board’s annual awards.

Luctonians and Shobdon have withdrawn from this season’s competition, which is now down to seven teams.

Porter said: “Unfortunately, Luctonians and Shobdon have pulled out due to not being able to get enough players. However, they both said how much they had enjoyed playing in the league."

Due to the reduced amount of teams, the league will be restructured into a single league format with all teams playing each other once and the top four sides going through to semi-finals.

Ludlow are the reigning champions - they have won the the competition for the last two seasons.

Last year, Ludlow turned over the 2010 and 2011 champions, Cleobury Mortimer, in the final.

Porter said: “I asked every captain and how they felt about a large league competition and they all said the more games the better.”

One thing that may well remain is the wooden spoon competition which will decide which team picks up the unwanted ‘last place’ trophy.

Porter said: “Tenbury beat Corvedale last year to avoid the spoon.”

The new league season begins on May 7 with Ludlow playing Cleobury on the 1st XI pitch and Clee Hill playing Corvedale on the 3rrd pitch at Ludlow Cricket Club.

The semi-finals are scheduled for July 23 and the final is being lined up for July 30 together with the third-placed play-off match.

For more details about the league, call organiser Matt Porter on 07855635879.