This is a very exciting time for UK club cricket. I have talked about how the new club 2020 league has potential to transform the way clubs play previously. Yesterday I was lucky enough to meet (in real life) the guys from North Gear who are behind the National 2020 Premier League over a hot chocolate.

We talked about a great deal relating to their plans for the league. Here are a few things we covered:

• Cost of Entry. At £1350, the entry price is fairly off-putting for many clubs. What is not as easy to see is the other side of that coin: Sponsorship. Every club in the league so far have increased their sponsorship by between £3000 and £8000 through selling shirt and cap space on their new coloured clothing. I imagine the winning club (the best 2020 team in the country no less) would be able to rake in even more and enjoy the prize money. Even lifetime committee men will be able to see that.
• Shop Window. Aspiring England players should be really pushing on their clubs to enter the league. The competition is supported by the ECB so has official backing and the finals day is live on Sky Sports at a county ground. Any club player who stars in the competition will have a huge opportunity to be picked up by a county, even if he has missed the Academy intake. On top of this, a team will be selected from the best league players to take on a county side. Who wouldn't want the chance to beat the professionals?
• North Gear. The company behind it all need to make money too (what business doesn't). The North Gear guys were stressing to me a great deal that this entire exercise is about building profile and there is no hidden agenda. It's in their interest to make the league a success so people know North Gear in the same way other big sponsors are known. That means making it as easy and attractive to clubs as possible.
• Support Team. I was pleased with the support levels North Gear are proposing. They have a website and forum dedicated to helping clubs with fitness, injuries, nutrition and coaching ready to launch and will be offering Premier League clubs the chance to work directly with their sport science advisors. They also send out a monthly magazine to all league clubs.

All this talk, and we didn't discuss the commercial aspect of North Gear at all. The closest we got was the potential for clubs to make money through shirt sponsorship. That says a lot to me about the intentions of this league.

I'll continue to talk with North Gear and give you the inside track on this.

Personally, I'm very excited by the whole concept and hope it becomes a huge success.

What are your thoughts? Is your club in the league? Would you like it to be? Do you have any reservations? Leave me a comment in the box below or email me.