Instead, Cricket Scotland's Future Structures Group have persuaded clubs to accept a regional format which today sees the introduction of Eastern and Western Conferences, each featuring two eight-team divisions.
At first glance the Eastern Premier Division looks more competitive, consisting of eight teams who finished in the top 10 of last season's SNCL.
Many of these teams, too, have strengthened their squads with Carlton having signed the former Northants wicket-keeper Toby Bailey as well as luring Umair Mohammed from Forfarshire and John Hutton from Drumpellier.
Grange, captained this season by former Saltires batsman Neil McCallum, welcome back Simon Smith from Heriot's and have signed Scotland opening batsman Ryan Flannigan from Watsonians.
McCallum said: "We're really looking forward to the new campaign and it looks like being an extremely hard league. I think any team will be capable of beating any other on a given day and that is what you want. We know that will make it a very hard league to win but I believe we have a good chance to make a real challenge."
Watsonians have a new captain in Stuart Chalmers and will field the Saltires overseas player Jean Symes while, completing the capital quartet, Heriot's welcome back Kevin McLaren and Cammy Farrell from Dunfermline.
Aberdeenshire and Arbroath may lead the challenge from the north but Stoneywood-Dyce, for whom Scotland prospect Michael Leask will be a key player, and Forfarshire, captained by Saltires wicketkeeper Craig Wallace, will be competitive.
In contrast, the Western Premier Division contains just two teams who finished in last season's top 10 and Clydesdale and Uddingston will be considered among the favourites to prevail.
However, neither looks as strong as last term, the Titwood club having opted to perform without the assistance of a professional while a shoulder problem means that the former Saltires star Paul Hoffmann will no longer bowl for Uddingston.
While not a fan of the new set-up, the Clydesdale chairman Colin Mitchell believes there may be long-term benefits for his club and others.
"I don't think there is much doubt that the Eastern Premier looks stronger and our players will miss competing against the likes of Carlton and Grange," said Mitchell.
"But although we're not overly excited about the new leagues I think we will use this summer as a developmental season to bring through some young players. If others do the same there could be benefits for cricket in the west in the future."
In addition to Uddingston, Mitchell expects a challenge from West of Scotland whose bid will be spearheaded by new player-coach John Blain, the former Scotland World Cup bowler.
Ayr, boosted by South African professional Craig Thyssen, may mount a challenge in the top half of the table while Dumfries and Stirling will relish the chance to compete at this level.
Drumpellier may lack strength in depth but the arrival of Nazer Hussain, last season's professional at Clydesdale, should guarantee enough wins to stay up.
Greenock, having suffered a mini-exodus which has seen the departure of Willie Rowan, Chris Bellwood, Dougie Wylie and Andy Hislop, will rely heavily on their South African professional Mpho Sekhoto.
west prospects
Arguments may rage about the relative strengths of the new Regional Conferences, but the dispute will have a much more local flavour at Langloan this afternoon, writes William Dick.
In a season which will be laced with derbies, the fixture computer has decreed that a new era in Scottish domestic cricket will be heralded by a match featuring fierce Lanarkshire rivals Drumpellier and Uddingston.
This game is even more eagerly anticipated since both their scheduled encounters in last season's unwieldy SNCL premier division succumbed to the weather.
While midweek rain raises the prospect of further postponements, a new drainage system at Drumpellier's Coatbridge ground means this one has a good chance of going ahead.
Home captain Graeme McLaren said: "We didn't have any luck with the weather last season which was a shame because this is a fixture which both clubs genuinely relish. This time last year I think the game would have had no chance of going ahead after this week's rain but our new drainage seems to be doing its job and the forecast is pretty promising. Neither team has made the best of starts to the season but that will count for nothing when the game gets under way."
Indeed, both teams go into action on the back of Scottish Cup defeats to lower league opposition, Drumpellier having gone down to Kelburne while cup holders Uddingston suffered a shock loss at Renfrew.
McLaren added: "That makes us all the more determined to get our league season off to a winning start. I think it's hard to call who are favourites for the title but Uddingston have to be among the fancied teams. We are quietly confident about our own prospects and have a decent balance about the side."
McLaren has high hopes for new professional Nazar Hussain, who played with Clydesdale last season, and for rising talent such as Hussain's new-ball partner Abdul Sabri.
The Langloan club will hand a senior debut today to 14 year-old Jordan Pryde, son of club legend Drew. However, they are without Ian Warden who has taken up umpiring while there are doubts about the regular availability of Zaheed Mohammed.
Uddingston, on the rebound from that defeat at Renfrew, are captained by in-form Calum MacLeod who starred in the Saltires victory over Notts earlier in the week. They are boosted by the inclusion of Durham Academy bowler Gavin Main while Scott McKenzie, with11 wickets in two games, will pose a threat to the hosts.
Elsewhere, Clydesdale will place the accent on youth in what they see as a developmental season. The Titwood club open with a potentially tough fixture at home to Stirling and are without Saltires bowler Safy Sharif who has suffered a setback on his recovery from a rib injury. Ayr, having suffered Scottish Cup defeats to Stenhousemuir and Forfarshire, are bidding for a winning start to their league campaign against a West of Scotland side who suffered a shock defeat to East Kilbride a week ago.
Greenock suffered a setback on the eve of their Glenpark clash when overseas amateur Craig Schlebusch was ruled out. Schlebusch, who announced himself with a century in the cup win over Poloc last week, has flown home to South Africa for personal reasons. On the plus side, Saltires star Richie Berrington is available to face a Dumfries side who have already recorded impressive cup wins over Penicuik and Weirs.
The first division also features a mouth-watering opening-day derby with Kelburne hosting Ferguslie while Renfrew and East Kilbride, who both claimed Premier Division scalps in the cup a week ago, meet at King George V Playing Fields.
east prospects
Arbroath are gearing up for an Aberdeenshire backlash today when the curtain rises at Lochlands on the new Cricket Scotland Eastern Premier Division campaign. The home side emerged as the surprise package of the old top flight last season and their run of success featured a double triumph over the Mannofield men.
Geoff Fisher, the Arbroath president, said: "It will be a match featuring two very determined teams. We know that Shire will be gunning for us after what happened last term and they will have a huge amount of incentive. But we will go into the encounter with confidence on the back of our excellent showing last year."
The hosts are likely to be without mumps victim Calvin Burnett, while batsman/spinner Ross McLean is still battling to shake off the effects of an ankle problem sustained when he tumbled down the stairs.
Fisher underlined his optimism that the match will go ahead in spite of the dreadful weather over the past couple of days. "We invested in new wicket covers and sheets for the square. It was tipping it down through the week, but the track was bone-dry underneath the covers - so we are very hopeful."
Forfarshire head to the capital to take on Watsonians and look set to field the same line up that demolished Ayr in the Scottish Cup last weekend. The Broughty Ferry side are boosted by the return of Saltires paceman Matty Parker and spokesman David Thomson stated: "We will have to perform well to compete with Sonians; having Matt back in the ranks will definitely be an important factor. With Craig Wright and new Scotland pro Jean Symes in their squad, they will be a real threat."
Champions Grange open their account on home turf and should be too strong for Stoneywood-Dyce while the batting power of Carlton should be enough to ensure a winning start against Heriot's at Goldenacre.
