BOLTON Cricket League has made some significant changes to its format for next season.

A major alteration will now allow clubs who employ a professional, either UK based or from overseas, to also field an overseas amateur.

Bolton League clubs were allowed to sign an overseas pro and amateur many years ago, but the rule was changed to only allowing an overseas pro in a bid to give local amateurs more opportunities with bat and ball.

The argument for bringing back overseas amateurs is that it will raise the standard of cricket in the league.

Teams will still play for four trophies – the league, the Hamer Cup, the Peter Stafford Trophy and the Twenty20 Trophy – but there have been some alterations.

The biggest change to be decided at the League’s annual general meeting on Monday night comes in the Peter Stafford Trophy which will go from a 40-over competition to 50 overs.

It will be played to league rules which means one bowler can bowl 25 overs and no other bowler can bowl more than 15 overs.

While the Hamer Cup is also 50 overs per side, it was decided at the AGM that no bowler can bowl more than 10 overs, establishing a significant difference between the two cups to create a unique challenge and spectacle for both.

The Twenty20 competition has also been revamped significantly with the number of games all clubs will play in the group stage increasing from four to six.

While the T20 was not embraced by a minority of clubs this season it was a major success for many others with large attendances and income.

The league are looking to build on that success next season by ensuring every club has at least three home games and the groups regionalised to ensure as many derbies as possible.