HIGH Wycombe CC chairman Geoff Morgan believes Division One of the Home Counties League should be expanded to reduce the effects of bad weather.

He argues that the more games you play the less influence a cancelled or abandoned fixture will have on the overall picture.

Wycombe have only finished three of their six league games this season, with two of those matches curtailed by rain, and they aren’t the only ones to suffer with leaders Banbury losing two games to the weather and second-placed Slough, like Wycombe, not bowling a ball in half their games.

Morgan said: “The reality is out of six games we’ve only completed one full game.

“My view is the league should be extended to 12 teams. That’s not sour grapes because we won the league a few years ago when the weather helped us.

“But we have the smallest Premier League in the country. The average size is about 14 teams and those leagues start a week before us and finish a few weeks after.

“Quite a few play on Bank Holiday Mondays as well.

“That makes it more meaningful. When it’s just ten teams it’s a bit of a lottery – if we lose another match that would be about 25 per cent of the season.

“That’s just crazy so I think it should be increased. Others will agree and some will disagree, but we seem to be getting better weather as the season goes on so it would make sense to play another two weeks.

“We host games into the third week of September anyway.”

Wycombe played three games fewer than the eventual champions last season – which is potentially 75 points – and wetter summers appear to be on the increase with Met Office figures suggesting a steady increase in both the regularity and volume of rainfall during the summer.

Morgan said: “The problem is the sheer volume of rain. We don’t just get showers anymore, it’s heavy downpours.”

Wycombe’s match at Banbury recently was cancelled because of Friday’s rainfall and Saturday’s trip to Henley was also ruined before the scheduled start.

Morgan said: “It was tough luck we were at Henley because, with the river just over the road, if anywhere is going to get called off it’s Henley.

“I wasn’t surprised it was called off because it was sodden on Saturday morning.

“It’s very frustrating and feels like the season hasn’t even started. We’ve not really played any cricket and there is nothing worse than watching the rain coming down on Saturday morning wondering if you’re going to get a game.

“But we’re not the only people who are frustrated and it’s not terminal yet. There is plenty to play for still and there is no reason why we can’t get ourselves up the league.”

Wycombe host Tring Park on Saturday.