SHROPSHIRE cricket chiefs have announced plans to tweak the rules for next season in a bid to tackle waning participation in the county league’s lower levels.

The league revealed alterations at the lower end of its constitution in order to make all divisions more competitive in 2017 when the various line-ups were announced this week.

And more thought will go into how to maintain interest before the turn of the year.

Management committee member Will Clarke said: “Several ideas regarding rule changes and upgrades designed to promote better player participation are due to be discussed by the sub-committee later this year.

“This follows a record number of conceded matches, the root cause of which are the reduced number of games to which an increasing number of players are prepared to commit. Sides at the bottom of their own club pyramid tend to find themselves most severely affected.”

There will be 12-team leagues in Saturday cricket with Ludlow joined in the top flight by Whitchurch and Worfield, both relegated from the Birmingham League.