ON Monday, the league committee and a number of players met to discuss the structure of first and second-team cricket next season. There were four proposals for consideration.

The first proposal was for two divisions of 10 teams playing each other once, making a total of 18 league matches plus six T20 games. There would also have been provision for a greater number of matches to be replayed if affected by the weather. This proposal was discounted on the grounds that there would be insufficient league matches, as in a normal season only two or three games are rained off, although ironically this season most leagues in the North West would have benefited from fewer matches and more replays.

Another proposal with little support was one that the teams played each other three times, making 27 league matches. Although this would only be one more game than last season for the older Bolton League clubs, it was felt that this was too many, especially now the T20 competition is on a group basis. The general consensus was that around 22 matches was the optimum.

Receiving more support was the suggestion that each team plays the others twice. After the initial 18 matches, the league would split. The top five teams would play each other once more for the championship while the bottom five teams play each other once to determine the three remaining Lancashire KO places and the two to be relegated. In the Second Division the top five teams would also play each other for the championship and second promotion place and the bottom five clubs would play each other. Without the Lancs KO places, this would be replicated in the two second-team divisions.

The fourth proposal, with a reasonable level of support, was for the top 12 teams to play each other twice in the top division in 2017 and the bottom eight teams to play each other three times. This would give the higher-division teams 22 matches and the teams in the lower division 21.

The Central Lancashire League in recent years have had two divisions of eight, playing each other three or four times. Feedback suggests that this led to quality cricket in the top section but in the lower league the season became flat for teams with a poor start to the season.

Whichever proposal is successful it looks like it will be the end of the 40-over competition, which could really have only continued if the clubs had voted for the 18-match option. With external commitments such as the Lancashire and National KO's plus third-team fixtures in the West Lancs and Greater Manchester Leagues there would be insufficient Sundays remaining.

The weather this year has affected one group in particular, and washouts in two complete sets of fixtures mean qualification for the semi-finals and byes in next season's Hamer and Birtwistle Cups will depend on who wins and obtains the highest number of bonus points in the one remaining set of Sunday fixtures.

The committee will meet again on Monday with the 20 clubs voting on the two remaining proposals. Whichever is successful would leave room for an expanded T20 competition with clubs in groups of four playing three matches at home and three away. Clubs will have the option of playing Friday or Tuesday evenings, or playing one or more matches on a Sunday or Bank Holiday Monday.