It's all change in the Northern Cricket Union this year with not only a return to a 10-team Premier League but also a split after each side has played each other once.

The season will start on Saturday April 23 with defending champions Waringstown at home to Woodvale and promoted sides Cliftonville Academy and Cregagh at home to North Down and away to Carrickfergus respectively.

At the halfway stage, the top six will play the other five teams once in the second half of the season with their top six place guaranteed, and the bottom four will play each other twice to determine who is relegated.

The Premier League teams join the Challenge Cup in the second round on June 4, with the quarter finals three weeks later.

There will be a three week-break between the first and second half of the season, to allow for any league rearrangements, with the two weekends filled by the Challenge Cup semi-finals and finals day in the T20 Cup which is scheduled for Saturday July 16.