Chris Hassell, the Yorkshire CCC chief executive and the main proponent of restructuring, was hoping that a two-day premier competition could be set up in 1998 as a nursery for the more ambitious players, but a hybrid version is to be proposed to the league members instead.

Many people up and down the country believe that the base of the England pyramid, club cricket, is due for an overhaul, but the prospect of embracing Australian-style two-day leagues has become a divisive issue.

A special meeting of the Yorkshire League on March 12 is to discuss setting up twin competitions - two-day and one-day - in 1999 after an experimental season of mixing the two styles in the 1998 fixtures.

The England Cricket Board see the 100-overs system as a worthwhile bridge between club and county, giving a long first innings prime importance in a two-day match, as in Australian grade cricket.

The future of the best amateur players looks like being assigned to super-clubs, those with sound track records and good facilities in a sensible geographical spread, though an altruistic yearning to improve England's Test team is not yet very high among the priorities.

The minor counties have decided against picking up the 100-overs baton in their championship. Last month, they rejected the recommendation made by their cricket committee, chaired by Alan Wilson, of Cumbria.

They have decided to stick with the existing two-day format, which usually equates to two one-day club games in one match. It is not an ideal system for improving standards, though some minor counties have other factors to consider, such as spectator appeal.

So Yorkshire and the National Sporting Club in London have been left to grapple with the two-day notion, and, for changes to be made in time for 1998, resignations from existing competitions and the restructuring of fixtures must be made by the end of this month. This now looks unlikely.

It is doubtful that the league committees in Surrey, Middlesex, Essex, Kent and Hertfordshire will all sanction the departure of their best clubs.

Yorkshire League clubs such as Harrogate, Scarborough, Doncaster and York, have made it clear they are eager to form a two-day premier championship, which would involve Yorkshire's county academy.

Inviting clubs from outside, notably from the Bradford League, to join is an obvious option, especially as Ray Illingworth, Farsley's president, is a supporter of the two-day form.

Yorkshire have offered to allocate, where requested, one staff professional free of charge to each club for two-day competition.

In London, little progress has been made after December's meeting at the Caf Royal called by the Willis brothers - David, a director of the National Sporting Club, and Bob, the former England captain.

The 11 clubs with the strongest playing records within the M25 perimeter expressed guarded approval at the NSC meeting. They were Finchley, Teddington, Ealing (all Middlesex), Wimbledon, Esher, Cheam (Surrey), Bexley, Bromley (Kent), Gidea Park & Rom- ford, Wanstead (Essex) and Radlett (Hertfordshire).

David Willis emphasised the need to progress with full consultation because the proposed London league would cut across longestablished competitions in five counties.

He said: ``The existing leagues are heading for 30 years of relatively settled existence, so clearly something like this could produce a degree of rancour.''

Aside from the political aspect, clubs embracing two-day leagues have a price to pay. There is little fun in the 100-overs form and it would have minimal appeal for the vast majority of weekend players.

Professionalism might have to be introduced for the first time in the south, where it has been an anathema for a century, and payments could even become quite widespread. However, with sponsorship and support from the ECB, finances should not become a problem.

The biggest obstacle to club restructuring is caution, based on self-interest - which is exactly the accusation thrown at the professional counties at a higher level.

For example, Lancashire, appalled by low club standards in the county, have encountered vehement opposition in their attempt to set up a premier league, and their plea for a two-day format has been rejected - for the time being, at least.