THIS weekend sees the start of a revamped First XI Cup competition and I must admit I am not fully in favour of the changes.

Organisers have split it into two competitions, one for teams in the top three tiers and another for the rest.

When the league launched last year one of the things I was most looking forward to was the cup.

It had elements of the FA Cup about it, pitching in the lowest-ranked teams with the Premier elite. Granted, some of the ties ended up being non-events, but it is up to the players in the smaller teams to make a game of it.

If I played for one of the minnows I would not be too impressed. This was supposed to be their moment to shine, show the biggest sides what they are made of.

It only takes 10 good balls to bowl a team out, and I think it is a shame the organisers have ruled out the chance of a true upset.

However, I am hoping my team, Greenmount, can continue their good run. We benefited from a bit of patience on Saturday, and got a game on when others called off their matches early because of the rain.

Division One leaders Heywood had their match at Stand abandoned, but while the Worsley lads were asking us if we wanted to go home early, we decided to stick it out to the bitter end. It is surprising how fast an outfield can dry out with a bit of sun on it, and it’s a good one to remember as the points we got at Worsley could make all the difference.

While we managed to claw our way to the top of Division One, it was great to see Woodbank do the same in the Premier. They have some good players, who I know well, and a good team spirit, so I wouldn’t rule out their chances of going all the way.

I hope they keep it up, but whatever happens this weekend I think it is important we all remember that cricket is just a game.

Words can’t really describe the horror of what happened at Manchester Arena on Monday night, or explain the pain and anguish families will be going through right now.

It somehow hits home even harder, when a tragedy like this is so close to home.

People in the local area have lost their lives or loved ones. No doubt, members of the local cricket community will have been affected and it is right we all come together to do whatever we can to help.

So my advice to anyone who gets out for a duck or smashed around the ground this weekend is to remember it could be much worse. Your hurt is nothing that cannot be healed by a friendly pint in the clubhouse afterwards.