THE Bolton and District Cricket Association is not folding yet.

The Association, which has no clubs after losing all 18 to two neighbouring leagues, was expected to be dissolved at its next annual general meeting.

But following developments with other leagues in Lancashire, the Association executive committee took legal advice which has resulted in them deciding to suspend the league instead.

Association chairman Frank Jackson told The Bolton News: “We've never dissolved a league before so we took legal advice to find out what you have to do.

"As a result of that advice we are suspending the league and not dissolving because of everything that is going on in local cricket in the area, not just in Greater Manchester but in Lancashire as well.”

The Association are the big losers of the five main leagues affected by the creation of the new Greater Manchester Cricket League.

One of those leagues joined the GMCL willingly, while the other four – including the Association – wanted to remain independent.

While two of them have survived by merging and the Bolton League are looking to expand to two divisions, the Association saw all its clubs leave.

Nine – six of them having only joined the Association in the last few years – joined the GMCL while the other nine – all long-established Association clubs – chose to remain in Bolton with the Bolton League.

The decision to suspend comes as developments in Lancashire see the Northern League and possibly the Ribblesdale League under threat of folding if they lose too many clubs to the expanding Lancashire League.

All but three clubs in the Northern League – one of the ECB premier leagues – have applied to join the Lancashire League, with Barrow also understood to have expressed an interest in joining but being told they are too far away.

A large number of Ribblesdale League clubs have also applied to join the Lancashire League.

It is understood the Lancashire Cricket Board – the governing body for all league cricket in Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside – are meeting with Lancashire League officials on Tuesday night in a bid to protect the Northern League's future.

This could result in the LCB attempting to set a limit on the number of clubs the Lancashire League can accept from other leagues.

The Association has written to the Lancashire Cricket Board to request that any rules that are applied to other leagues in the area in respect of limiting the number of clubs that are allowed to leave should also apply to the Association.

If this happens it could result in as many as 15 clubs who played in the Association this year being recalled for next season and the second oldest cricket league in the world continuing in existence.

If the LCB refuse to apply the same rule for the Association that is applied for another league under their governance the Association are believed to be prepared to take the issue to the England and Wales Cricket Board.

The decision of the Association to suspend the league means they will hold on to their assets – cash reserves and trophies including the prized Cross Cup, the oldest cricket trophy which is still being played for in the world.

Six clubs are yet to resign from the Association.

The Lancashire Cricket Board have told The Bolton News they will not be commenting at this time.