BOLTON Cricket League have allowed clubs to postpone tomorrow’s programme of games.

The decision was taken due to England’s World Cup quarter-final against Sweden taking place at the same time.

Scheduled group matches in the Peter Stafford Trophy will now be rearranged to take place on Sunday, July 29.

Clubs have been given the option to play their games tomorrow if they prefer to do so as long as both teams agree to play a game to the usual rules of the competition with the customary 1.30pm start.

The clash of England playing in the World Cup tomorrow has caused issues for many leagues.

Bolton is not the only league in the Lancashire and Yorkshire areas where scheduled games will now not take place tomorrow, while others have given their clubs options including early-morning starts so they can finish before the World Cup match starts.

The Bolton League made the decision at an extraordinary general meeting on Wednesday night which was called to discuss the resignation of Ray Taylor as secretary last weekend after 28 years in the role.

Between his resignation and the meeting Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions sent the country into a frenzy when they beat Colombia by winning a penalty shootout for the first time in England’s World Cup history, sparking huge anticipation of Saturday’s clash with the Swedes – not least among the cricket-playing fraternity.

Indeed, in The Bolton News’ sister paper the Radcliffe Times yesterday Radcliffe Cricket Club’s captain called his side’s match tomorrow “a non-event”.

Michael Farley was disappointed the Greater Manchester League did not give its clubs options which could have enabled their players to watch England.

He said: “It’s a shame because it makes the game meaningless. Players will just be thinking about what’s happening in the England game.

“Everyone wants to win a game of cricket but they want to win the World Cup more.

“Your focus isn’t on what’s happening in the cricket. I played in a game in 2010 when England played Germany and you just couldn’t concentrate on the cricket.”