The Worcestershire Seniors Cricket Over 45 Club Competition is flourishing in its second year.
Ten teams will be taking part in the 35 overs per side competition – including the inaugral 2015 winners Redditch Entaco.
This compares with four clubs opting to enter 12 months ago.
The grand final – plus the plate competition final – will be staged at Bromsgrove Cricket Club on September 4.
The competition is under the umbrella of the Worcestershire Cricket Board Limited (WCBL) and run in conjunction with the Worcestershire Seniors Cricket Association.
The goal is to increase opportunities for players who may not be playing anymore or those contemplating retirement.
WCBL Participation Manager, Andy Wheeler, said: "It started as a pilot competition last year. We took feedback from a number of clubs and a number of players and the feedback was the 40 plus market wasn't really catered for at club level.
"We spoke to the Worcestershire Seniors Cricket Association and they said they would support us with this competition.
"Four teams entered last year what is a 35 overs a side competition, generally played on a Sunday afternoon. Last year it was just semi-finals and a final.
"But this year we went out to the whole of the county and we had 10 teams enter."
Wheeler says the make-up of the victorious Redditch squad shows that the competition is having the desired effect.
He said: "Redditch had a squad of 16 – 14 of whom had come back to cricket that year to play in the competition.
"That was the aim of it, to try and entice people who had played in the past and dropped out to come back in.
"A number of them indicated they wanted to play more often so just by having a few games offered, they got the bug again.
"It is about introducing new people to the game but also about offering chances for people who dropped out to get back in. It is a real positive competition."
Preliminary Round draw
Rushwick v Bartestree and Lugwardine
Studley v Birlingham
Matches to be played by June 27
Round One
Rushwick or Bartestree and Lugwardine v Studley or Birlingham
Earlswood v Redditch
Pershore v Bredon
Martley v Bewdley
Matches to be played by July 25
