DERBY day cricket between Weymouth and Dorchester is set to return this summer as the Dorset League announced the clubs to make up this season’s Premier Division.

Subject to accepting the invitation to the top tier, both the Seasiders and the club from the county town will claim two places in the league alongside neighbours Martinstown, after all three clubs saw their applications to the 10-team competition app-roved by the Dorset Cricket Board.

Dorset League secretary Alan Graham revealed to Echosport that a total of 14 clubs applied for Premier League status in total, with the four clubs that missed out being placed on a reserve list.

All clubs will have to meet specific criteria off the field to remain in the top flight, with one team set to be relegated from and promoted to the division at the end of the season.

In the rest of the county divisions, two teams will be promoted and relegated.

Commenting on the new league structure, league secretary Gra-ham told Echosport: “I think the main thing is hopefully we have come to a bit of a compromise.

“The club’s have got their 10-team divisions which they wanted, and the board have imposed the criteria they wanted.

“There is a pathway with the promotion and relegation to make it open to ambitious clubs.

“With the criteria, clubs will know what they have to do, on and off the field, to get there.”

Weymouth chairman John Ryan was delighted by the news that the Seasiders remained a Premier club, and welcomed the prospect of locking horns with their rivals closer to home.

“There are three teams contesting local derbies now with Mar-tinstown and Dorchester coming in, and West Dorset has a good representation, it is almost 50-50 now,” he told Echosport.

“The fear was that it was going to be us and the rest of East Dorset and it’s difficult to compete with their strength over that side.

“A lot of the youngsters have all grown up together in the regional sides trained by Sean Fitzgerald and David Trotter, so they all know each other.

“Hopefully it will strengthen our whole appeal of being able to attract players, you are much better off being in it than not in it.”

Portland Red Triangle’s first XI will play their cricket in Division Two this term, and Dorchester Seconds will also lock horns with Weymouth Seconds in Division Three alongside Beaminster.

Bridport will line up in County Division Four, Charlton Down will play against Red Triangle’s second team in Division Five and Beaminster Seconds will compete in Division Six.

PROPOSED LEAGUE STRUCTURE 2015

DORSET CRICKET BOARD PREMIER LEAGUE

Broadstone, Dorchester, Martinstown, Parley, Poole Town, Sherborne, Stalbridge, Swanage, Weymouth, Wimborne & Colehill.

COUNTY DIVISION ONE

Bere Regis, Blandford, Broadstone Seconds, Corfe Mullen, Ferndown Wayfarers, Hamworthy Recreation, Poole Town Seconds, Shillingstone, Shroton, Wimborne & Colehill Seconds.

DIVISION TWO

Bournemouth Thirds, Branksome & Parkstone, Cattistock, Cerne Valley, Christchurch, Compton House, Cranborne, Marnhull, Portland Red Triangle, Witchampton.

DIVISION THREE

Ashmore (moved from Sunday League), Beaminster, Dorchester Seconds, Kingston Lacy, Poole Town Thirds, Stalbridge Seconds, Sturminster Marshall, Wareham, Weymouth Seconds, Wimborne & Colehill Thirds.

DIVISION FOUR

Abbotsbury, Bridport, Corfe Mullen Seconds, Dorset Indians (Poole), Hamworthy Recreation Seconds, Pimperne, Sherborne Seconds, Shillingstone Seconds, Sturminster & Hinton, Swanage Seconds.

DIVISION FIVE

Blandford Seconds, Bradford Abbas, Broadstone Thirds, Cerne Valley Seconds, Chalke Valley, Charlton Down, Martinstown Seconds, Portland Red Triangle Seconds, Puddletown, Shaftesbury.

DIVISION SIX

Beaminster Seconds, Bere Regis Seconds, Blandford Thirds, Cranborne Seconds, Marnhull Seconds, Parley Fifths, Poole Town Fourths, Stalbridge Thirds, Wimborne & Colehill Fourths, Witchampton Seconds.