CL TOP-LEVEL OPEN COMPETITION STRUCTURES (2025)

With CL club competitions now concluded for the 2024 season, the CL Board can now confirm the format of top-level open competition structures and format for the 2025 season.

As communicated during last winter, the Premier League will be comprised of 12 teams as follows:

PREMIER LEAGUE

Balbriggan 
Clontarf 
Leinster 
Malahide 
Merrion 
North County
Cork County
Pembroke 
Phoenix 
Railway Union 
Rush 
The Hills

These top 12 teams will play each other once in 2025 and then split into a top-half and bottom-half. 

The Top-half will play each other again for the Premier League Trophy whilst the bottom-half will play each other again for Championship Trophy.

FIRST TEAM LEAGUE 

The new First Team league is intended to comprise the next first teams, ideally those whose results in 2024 place them 13th to 20th in the overall ranking of first teams (subject to accreditation standards and committee determination on final composition). When accreditation standards are taken into account, the First Team League for 2025 will be comprised as follows:

North Kildare
Terenure
Civil Service
Cork Harlequins
Adamstown

Each team in the new First Team League will play each other three times in 2025 (rather than twice as is the usual convention) totalling 12 league fixtures.

The Top team in the First Team League at the end of 2025 will be promoted to the Premier League for 2026 replacing the bottom team in the Premier League (subject to accreditation standards and OCC determination on final composition). The bottom team in the First Team League at end 2025 will be relegated and replaced by the top first team at the next level (subject to accreditation standards and OCC determination on final composition). 

All other leagues will cascade as of now (mainly 8 team leagues) based on performance, submissions, level of players & OCC determination.

SENIOR CUP COMPETITION

The Senior Cup competition will continue to be played on a knock-out basis (as per 2024) based on a Draw which will take place prior to Christmas. All CL clubs in the Premier League and First Team League will compete in this competition which will also include Dublin University (16 teams).

SENIOR T20 (ALAN MURRAY) CUP COMPETITION

As most people will be aware, this competition has had many different formats over the years. Whilst all the logistical details have still to be confirmed, it has been decided that at least some of the fixtures will take place away from weekend dates and on a regional basis and that the competition will have a reduced number of fixtures culminating in a Grand Final (as before). All CL clubs in the Premier League and First Team League will compete in this competition which will also include Dublin University (16 teams).

DISTRICT (SIGGINS CUP) COMPETITION

The District Cup competition will continue into its third year in 2025, primarily as a 50-over pathway tournament. It is recognised that work is required to tighten up the player eligibility criteria and to ensure a more broad-based level of participation for the young/emerging talent across the club cricket community. Dublin University will compete in this competition alongside District teams.

CLOTHING & BALLS

In respect of clothing and match balls, the following has previously been decided and communicated for 2025 & beyond:

AMC/Senior Cup/Senior 2 Cup: all remain as White Ball & Coloured Clothing

PL-D4: all remain as White Ball & Coloured Clothing

D5-21: Pink Ball & Coloured Clothing

The centralised ball-ordering process has already been initiated on this basis.

Finally, just a couple of points of clarification from the Board as follows:

• The reconfirmed structure (outlined above) is wholly consistent with what was explained to clubs prior to the 2024 playing season.
• The application of our accreditation standards means that teams/clubs are not promoted based solely on their on-field performance.
• It is clear that the structure provides a promotion pathway for all clubs to the top-level.
• The 2025 configuration of the new First Team League recognises the reality of our current situation where there are not yet 8 CL member clubs/ teams ready for promotion to the new First Team League in 2025.
• There is a strong desire to sustain the existing Second XI Premier League format which is an effective and competitive peer competition played on the alterative weekend day to the Premier League.
• As all clubs will be aware, we have engaged a third-party supplier with grounds expertise (GM By Choice) to complete ground & facilities assessments on our behalf - this process was initiated during the 2023 season and is now fundamentally complete for this season. All clubs are provided with a copy of their own individual report which clearly indicates current capability and areas to be addressed as next steps.
• These reports together with other data including umpires reports, peer feedback and our own observations are used to determine any material issues which may impact hosting and/or promotion in any particular instance. All clubs should take the time to ensure that they are familiar with the standards required and CL is available to support as required.