Baseball Conference vs. Two Tier

Under the conference proposal, alternately-ranked teams would be grouped in

separate conferences, down to teams placed 11 and 12.

This would then mean that all six teams in each conference would play each other in at

least one series over two years, with the possibility of one or two 'crossover' series

against teams from the other conference also available:

as happens in Major League Baseball  !!

Conferences, rather than divisions, may be the answer to the ICC impasse

over the future structure of Test cricket, allowing a two-year build to

a championship playoff without dividing the game into haves and have-nots.  8)

Jurassic no merican

The concept of a conference-based split among 12 Test-playing nations

- allowing room for the likes of Afghanistan or Ireland -

was discussed in some detail at the recent ICC chief executives' committee (CEC)

meeting in Cape Town, after the idea of two divisions was struck down (click)

by the objections of some nations including Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and India .

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci-icc/conte...62376.html

Not a bad idea, though the divisions couldn't be straight alternating teams based on rankings.  That
would mean Division 1 with the 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 ranked teams and Division 2 with 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12  ranked teams.
Division 1 clearly stronger than Division 2. 

More equitable would be Divisions this way:
Division 1:  1, 4, 6, 7, 9, 12 ranked sides
Division 2:  2, 3, 5, 8, 10, 11 ranked sides.

But this means all the sides in a division would be required to play everyone
else in their division. Is everyone really gonna give a test to Deshies, Irish, Zimbos?
Will Indies play Pakies if they're still bitchin' over Kashmir?

Also, with one or two "crossover" series along with their division series, each side would be playing 6-7
series each  year (assuming  this "championship" is decided annually).  More  than
most countries now play.

[quote author=timmyj51 link=topic=106667.msg717241#msg717241 date=1476977711]
Also, with one or two "crossover" series along with their division series, each side would be playing 6-7
series each  year (assuming  this "championship" is decided annually). 
[/quote]

Proposal is every 2 years for a championship.

Good analysis and suggestions !  8)

dillinger, do Girls Rounders in England has this system, already ?

Do you unnastan Baseball style Conferences where there are :

'cross over ' games  :-\