Hampshire all-rounder Liam Dawson has told the ECB Southern Electric Premier League management to have a ‘serious look’ at whether its top clubs should continue to play all-day ‘time’ cricket in future.

Premier Division clubs have been playing split format 50-over and all-day cricket since 2001 – the longer ‘time’ games being played in June and July.

Current champions South Wilts have dominated the all-day game, winning the ‘time pennant’ five times in the last six years.

Dawson spend his formative years on the Ageas Bowl staff playing Premier League cricket for Hampshire’s Academy side – and it clearly not a supporter of the longer game.

‘Scrap it’ “If I’m honest, I would scrap it,” he said after playing a drawn ‘time’ game for Academy against Burridge last week.

“You start at 11.30am, but are only playing an extra ten overs each - so what’s the point in having a draw for a start?

“Just play straight 50-over cricket.”

Dawson recently played two Academy matches – the other a Southern Electric twenty20 cup defeat by South Wilts - on his way back to fitness after the groin injury which sidelined him for two months.

“For most of the players, club cricket is their hobby - it’s not their job.

“If you have a family, why would you want to be leaving your house at 9.30am on a Saturday morning and coming back at 9pm?

“What sort of life is that after working all week?

“It’s absolutely pointless - I don’t see any benefit to it.

Dawson’s views have changed since he was first introduced to local Premier League cricket as a promising Wiltshire youngster in 2005.

“You don’t realise it back then when you are an Academy player,” he added.

“But the older you get, the more you realise that it’s pointless.

“It doesn’t help you make a step to playing a four-day county game.”

The Hampshire Academy’s match against Burridge last week, which didn’t finish until almost 8 o’clock, started at 11.30am.

Dawson added: “You get too many boring draws.

“Some teams go into a game thinking they are happy with a draw.

“That is just negative cricket straight away.

“You play 50-over cricket, you win or lose and that’s that.”

The Hampshire all-rounder, who hopes to be in contention for a return to first team action in tonight’s FRI NatWest Blast showdown with Middlesex, says the Premier League should think about introducing more twenty20 cricket into its programme.

“There is scope to have more t20 cricket,” he continued.

“You can get your families down to games, have a barbecue and it’s more exciting to watch for three or four hours.”

Dawson certainly feels the time has come for the Premier League to call a halt to all-day ‘time’ cricket.

“I really do think it has run its course.

“I’m uncertain of the cost involved, but it can’t be cheap preparing 30 lunches for the players and officials.”

l If you are a Premier League cricketer, what do you think about Liam Dawson’s suggestion that all-day ‘time’ matches should be scrapped ?

Is it worth the time and effort, and what benefits are there to playing longer games, instead of 50-over and twenty20 cricket ?

Email the Daily Echo Sports Desk – echosport@dailyecho.co.uk - with your thoughts.