The first Scottish inter-city cricket derby for more than a century took place last week although even dedicated fans of the sport could be forgiven if it passed them by.This historic occasion – the first of its kind reportedly since 1894 – took place not in Glasgow or in Edinburgh but in the small Dutch town of Voorburg in front of a relatively sparse crowd who had their interest sufficiently piqued to venture out into the sunshine on a Thursday afternoon.Those looking to follow the action from home could do so but only if they had a subscription to TNT Sports, while the opening day’s play of the England v Pakistan Test from Lord’s provided a rival alternative on another channel.This, then, was a low-key introduction to finally having proper Scottish representation on the T20 circuit although, given the enduring struggles just to get to this point, it should still be considered something of an achievement that it has finally happened at all.Previous attempts to get a European white-ball tournament off the ground have floundered for one reason or another, with even this latest six-team iteration – the European T20 Premier League (ETPL) – forced into a year’s delay after failing to get up and running last summer.There have been plenty of teething problems this year, too, both for the league as a whole – a joint venture between Cricket Ireland and Indian-based firm, Rules X – and the two Scottish franchises. Mark Watt of Edinburgh Castle Rockers against Glasgow Cosmic at Voorburg Cricket Club West Indies legend Chris Gayle stepped away from a role as co-owner and team ambassador of GlasgowThe Edinburgh Castle Rockers were originally meant to have New Zealand-based ownership only for investors to get cold feet and withdraw, forcing the ETPL itself to step in. Trevor Bayliss, the former England head coach, was also parachuted in to take charge of the team less than a week before the tournament started. Asked what the biggest challenge had been, the Australian remarked: ‘Learning the players’ names.’The Glasgow Cosmic, at one point set to be named the Mugafians after their Indian owners, have had their own difficulties, including West Indies legend Chris Gayle’s decision to step away from a role as co-owner and team ambassador. In as head coach has come Matthew Hayden, the legendary Australian batter but someone who has spent more time in retirement in the commentary booth than in the coaches’ box.With foreign or central ownership, Australian head coaches and no local ties beyond a vague connection to each city, it seems fair to question just how Scottish these franchises really are. The main driving force behind the push to establish a European tournament had been to increase the profile of Scottish, Dutch and Irish cricket while also giving opportunities to players from those countries to compete with, and against, some of the leading lights from Test-playing nations.On both fronts, there is a bit to go yet. Tournament rules state that each line-up must contain a minimum of five players from the ‘host’ nations – the Netherlands, Ireland and Scotland – alongside up to four players from the bigger nations and two others, either locals or players from other Associate nations including the US, Portugal and Italy.Thursday’s one-sided opener, won in a canter by Edinburgh by seven wickets, saw just seven Scottish players in total among the 22 who took to the field. Five of them, including Glasgow captain George Munsey, are already over 30 years old and most already well experienced on the T20 touring circuit. To frame this as a rare chance for young Scottish talent to learn from veterans like Liam Livingstone or Mitchell Santner would be pushing it somewhat.From a Scottish perspective, it was disappointing to see priority given to overseas veterans like JJ Smuts, the former South African all-rounder who now represents Italy, and Andries Gous, the US batter also once of South Africa, over local talent. Unused Scottish squad players Safyaan Sharif, Ollie Jones, Finlay McCreath, Brad Currie, Chris McBride, Oliver Davidson and Liam Naylor all sat and watched the opener from the sidelines.Both Edinburgh and Glasgow are also massively hindered by the fact there will be no matches in Scotland in the first season. After the first round in Voorburg, the travelling circus rolls onto Malahide in Dublin for the concluding pool fixtures and then the knockout phase. Matthew Cross of Glasgow Cosmic takes wicket against Edinburgh Castle RockersTrying to develop wider interest in a team that has no home matches was never going to be easy but the sides haven’t helped themselves either on that front. Both spoke about bringing their squads to Scotland to engage with local communities ahead of the tournament but never followed through.In an interview with Mail Sport a few months ago, Cosmic CEO Rashid Ali Khan even talked about paying to take cricket-mad Glaswegians over to the Netherlands to watch games in the flesh. He has yet to deliver on that promise.It throws up the eternal question when it comes to these T20 franchise tournaments: who cares? The whole concept can often feel quite soulless, teams of well-paid mercenaries thrown together to fight for an arbitrary cause, playing against each other one week and then together the next. With foreign owners and no local support base, it seems to serve few beyond the batters and bowlers for hire and those watching, and betting, from the Indian sub-continent.Still, even this flawed concept has to be better for the development of the Scottish game than nothing at all. The hope must be that more players get the chance to feature as the tournament progresses and that the profile of the event continues to grow all the way to the final on September 20.With a successful first season behind them, the ETPL will then hopefully fulfil its promise of bringing games to Scotland next year for the second edition, providing a spectacle for local cricket fans while also giving more opportunities to Scottish players and inspiring future generations. Building a rivalry between Glasgow and Edinburgh with an engaged fanbase behind each one would help, too. After a 132-year absence, it’s long overdue.