Only eight clubs will contest first grade this season, with Sale City relegated to remove the need for a bye.

Eight clubs will also contest second grade, while there will be two fourth grade competitions - one with a mixture of 60-over two-day and 40-over one-day matches, the other entirely of one-day games in previous seasons.

Sale City president Les Abel said the SMCA committee had not thought through the move to cut the firsts down to eight teams.

"It was apparent at the SMCA annual general meeting that the current committee was hell-bent on dropping the bye from the draw, what they haven't considered is the effect of such a decision has on a club,'' he said.

Abel said the SMCA move compromised the club's efforts to foster young players instead of focussing on results.

"Since the decision was made by the club it has done the hard yards of waiting for the players to mature into senior cricketers and last season was competitive in the first innings, but the immaturity of the playing group meant they could not press home an advantage,'' he said.

"The club could live with the (SMCA) decision if it was voted on by all clubs, not a select group of clubs that currently form the committee. The club representation is unbalanced on the committee with some clubs having two or three representative and other clubs not being able to get onto the committee.''

Sale City had a nomination for the committee, but was unsuccessful.

Now without first grade side of their own, the Lizards have struck an agreement with Traralgon and District association club Imperials.

"We will use the Traralgon club as our first grade team, the players that are batting well and bowling well, will be offered promotion to the Traralgon club on a weekly basis and if they wish to continue playing in Traralgon, they will be offered one-year clearances to that club to continue their careers,'' Abel said.