AS the League Cricket Conference and Lancashire Cricket Board's June 30 deadline for the transfer of clubs from one league to another has gone, predictions that there would be a large number of clubs joining the Greater Manchester Cricket League in a second wave has proved inaccurate.

The same can also be said about those who said clubs joining the two newly-formed leagues and the expanded Bolton League would want to return to their former leagues.

None of the Greater Manchester-based clubs have actually changed leagues, although the composition of two has been altered with one Merseyside-based club, Hindley St Peters joining the GMCL and another, Standish leaving the Bolton League to join the Palace Shield.

This leaves the Bolton League with 20 clubs, and it was agreed in principle at the last meeting that two divisions of 10 clubs would be formed.

There is still much to be decided; do the League play a simple two-up-two-down promotion and relegation system, or should a third team possibly be involved in a play-off?

There is also the thought that the rugby league Super League system could be adopted, and towards the end of the season the lower clubs in the top division could play the top clubs in the Second Division to determine who plays in which division in 2018.

Next season Golborne will be joining the other 19 clubs in the Dixon Air Conditioning Twenty20 competition.

Discussions are still ongoing but it looks like five groups of four clubs will be formed, again on a roughly regional basis, with clubs playing each other twice guaranteeing three home matches.

The top five teams along with the three runners-up with most points would then contest the quarter-finals.

For most clubs Friday evening matches have proved the most lucrative, but clubs who have junior practice on a Friday would have the option of playing on a Tuesday, Sunday afternoon or Bank Holiday Monday.

There was a decent crowd on Horwich last Sunday afternoon for the T20 quarter-final against Lostock, but I was told nowhere as near as many as turn out on a Friday evening.

Horwich have followed the example of many Lancashire League clubs laying on entertainment after the match to keep the spectators on the premises and increase food and drink sales.

With only 18 league matches next season, the Bolton League are considering relaxing the rules concerning matches affected by the weather. At present matches are only replayed if there are no results in any games. From 2017 we will be looking at upward of three reserve dates which would be activated if more than half the matches in any group, first and second team, are unfinished. We are only just in the second half of the season but already some clubs have had three matches rained off, plus unplayed 40-over and 20-over games.

The Hamer and Birtwistle Cup ties have finally concluded – some of them three weeks after they were due to start. At least one match was decided by a bowl-out due to players not being available after the scheduled date, and several were played with reduced overs.

With fewer league matches next season, it may be possible to play the second round involving 16 first and second teams on a Saturday, leaving the following day or another Sunday free to start or continue matches if there are significant interruptions because of the rain.