Bridgetown, Barbados, December 23 –(www.bcacricket.org) – Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) president Joel Garner says the promotion and demotion system introduced in the domestic competitions over the last three seasons with the emphasis on the First division, has rekindled interest among players and fans.

“There was a lot of scepticism when the BCA decided to go to the promotion and relegation system but it has brought a lot more interest as people are now thinking about the cricket and how they are going about their business,” Garner said during the BCA’s annual Christmas luncheon at the Accra Beach Hotel on Thursday.

“During the last two to three years we have seen a lot of interest. If anyone had visited any three of four grounds on the last day of the season, they would have recognised that any one of six (Division 1) clubs could have gone down and the crowds were there.”

Garner also revealed that a paper had been presented by one of the committees and the BCA Board of Management would meet “in the not too distant future” to discuss it and look at ways of making competitions more interesting.

“There is now keen competition and now we are down to ten (Division 1) teams we are going to be very innovative. 2012 will definitely be an exciting year for us,” Garner remarked.

The promotion and relegation system took effect from 2009.

The major objective was to reduce the number of Division 1 teams from 16 (the highest ever number which was in effect from 2007-09) to 10 by 2012.

At the end of the 2009 Division 1 season, the last three teams (with the exception of Guardian General Barbados Youth) were demoted. The Upper Intermediate division champions were promoted to Division 1, bringing the number to 14 for the start of 2010.

In 2010, three teams were again demoted from Division 1 and the Upper Intermediate division champions were promoted, bringing the number to 12.

At the end of 2011, three teams were yet again demoted and the Upper Intermediate champions elevated to Division 1 where finally there will be 10 teams for the start of the Division 1 season in 2012.

And at the end of the 2012 season, only one team will be demoted per season.

Promotion/demotion has also occured throughout the other competitions in the Upper Intermediate, Intermediate and Division 2 where one team will come up and one will go down in their respective divisions.

Like their Division 1 counterparts, the Barbados Youth team in the Upper Intermediate will be exempted from being demoted.