Nine clubs will contest a two-day fixture in 2017-18 after a club-backed initiative to focus on longer form cricket was endorsed at the association’s annual general meeting on Monday night.

Mailors Flat will return to A grade, ensuring every club will play each other once across the summer.

A weekend in January will be set aside to determine which Grassmere team represents the association at the Sungold Twenty20 Cup.

Buchanan, who led the Crabs to the two-day flag last season, praised the association board for its proactive stance.

“Everyone wants to win a two-day flag, they are a lot more important than one-dayers I reckon,” he said.

“I find it a better style of cricket – you have to be more rounded to win a two-dayer.

“In a one-dayer you only need one bowler or batsman (to have a big game) to win.”

Buchanan said having nine teams in A grade – every club is represented in the top-tier – was good for the competition.

“It will be the strongest I think since I have been playing and I have been playing A grade for 10 years,” he said.

“I think it’s a positive for the league.”

Jason Elliott, who was reinstated as president at the annual general meeting, said the association’s viability depended on its broader picture-focus.

“We have to try and be proactive,” he said.

“Cricket has its challenges in regards to football so we need to do what we can to encourage people to play.

“We listened to clubs, like we always do, and midway through last season we started discussions with clubs.

“We’ve opted to have all two-day cricket. It’s what all the top-tier players wanted.”

Elliott said a flexible 13-man rule which would give clubs more scope to tinker their teams was also implemented.

“You don’t have to nominate if they’re a batsman or a bowler, but only 11 can bat or bowl,” he said.

“It is to stop putting hurdles in front of people that stop them from playing.”

The association will start its A grade season on October 14 – a week later than in recent years.

Elliott said the reintroduction of Mailors Flat meant every team would play each other once over the course of an 18-week season.

A bye for Dunkeld races will be included and Sunday fixtures, bar in finals, will be axed. Daniel Meade has taken on the assistant secretary role and Rhys Dews has obtained the junior vice president folio. Buchanan will help as an association selector. Elliott said it was important to include current players in league decisions.