ALL Bolton cricket clubs who are members of the town's two leagues have so far remained loyal to remaining in a Bolton cricket league structure.

The introduction of the new Greater Manchester Cricket League from next season has seen 38 clubs from six leagues join up.

Clubs leaving those leagues has seen the North Manchester League cease to exist as clubs have joined the GMCL en bloc, virtually every club in the Lancashire County League do likewise, and the Central Lancashire League and the Saddleworth League begin talks over a possible merger in a bid to survive.

The only other leagues in the Greater Manchester area, the Bolton League and the Bolton Association – the second oldest cricket league in the world – has lost six clubs to the GMCL.

They are Greenmount from the Bolton League, and Astley and Tyldesley, Swinton Moorside, Winton, Bury and Walshaw from the Association.

Of the 16 clubs in the two Bolton leagues who reside within the boundaries of Bolton none have yet gone to the GMCL.

Five more who on the periphery of Bolton geographically, and consider themselves to have a strong Bolton cricketing and town connection, have also rejected the chance to leave what has been a solid and successful Bolton league cricket structure since 1888.

Now all eyes are on a vote on whether to expand the Bolton League to two divisions which takes place on Monday night at Tonge Cricket Club.

If the League's clubs vote for expansion, as The Bolton News understands is highly likely, a number of new clubs are expected to join the Bolton League – including from the Bolton Association – as the Bolton League looks to strengthen its status as the most successful cricket league standard-wise in Greater Manchester.

The GMCL will have Bolton representatives in its inaugural season with Bolton Indians and Deane and Derby having joined. Neither have ever played in the Bolton League or Association.