The Middlesex Development League (MDL) aims to inspire young people to play the game competitively, and in the Spirit of Cricket. Primarily engaging 16-21 year olds, Middlesex Cricket set up The MDL to respond to the needs of clubs in relation to the ongoing development of younger players.
The competition:
- Bridges the gap in standard between age group and Saturday league cricket
- Provides an additional platform for young players to express their ability in a format longer than T20
- Integrates young players into open age cricket within a supportive learning environment
- Increases player retention within clubs, thus adding to their long-term sustainability.
All 40 over matches take place on Sundays, once school, college and university exams have finished in mid-June. The six-week Group Stage is arranged geographically and a minimum of seven players must be an Under 21 or below. All players wear coloured clothing and games are played with the pink ball.