'We want to become the best run league throughout the country...'

THE new North Staffs and South Cheshire League season starts this weekend.

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RE: James Menzies is vice-chairman of the NSSCL.

It marks the second season in charge of the league for Dean Hodson and James Menzies.

They reflect on their first year at the helm - and what to expect in 2026 and beyond.

We have implemented a number of changes.

Our main aim, firstly, was to be open and transparent and we are the first executive to put our minutes online for everyone to see .

Our aim was to try to galvanise clubs together as we know we cannot appease everyone, but we have gone out of our way to speak to clubs who have an issue.

There is no chairman or vice-chairman we are together as one - we both have the same ambitions about where we see local cricket.

We feel the positives outweigh the negatives. We have a team now on the executive and are in the process in issuing roles to each one of us, so it’s not all on us two.

We have a league manager and he should manage the league to the rules that the clubs vote for.

We have implemented a new Premier League Umpires’ Panel. We are being constantly badgered that umpiring is not good enough.