NICK Lester will not be taking Lostock lightly when the new two-division Bolton League starts on Saturday.

In fact, the Bradshaw captain believes it would be folly for any team to take any other for granted in either of the two divisions this season.

The Rigbys men begin their bid for the Bolton League Premier Division title with a home game against the only former Bolton Association team to win a place in the top division through their impressive results last season.

And Lester knows the danger they, and any of the other eight teams in the top section, can pose.

“It’s ridiculously competitive,” he said. “You could make a case for all the teams in the top division that they could be challenging this season.

“Everyone has strengthened and anyone who hits the ground running is probably going to be up there.

“We kick off against Lostock and we’re expecting a tough game as we will every week.

“Probably last year nobody gave Lostock a chance against the teams who’ve been in the Bolton League in the past.

“But they beat a lot of them and they fully deserve to be up in the top division.

“It’s the same in the other division. You only have to look at Tonge.

“I was with the Eagley lads the other day and they said they went to Tonge and Tonge played well to beat them in the Peter Stafford Trophy.

“Eagley are in the top division and can beat anyone on their day – they’re a very good team – but Tonge beat them, and it took them until the last game of last season to win their first game in two years. It shows how everyone’s stepping up. The competitiveness is brilliant.

“Having two divisions is good for the league. It should have come in 20 years ago but I think people were too scared.

“It’s probably something we should be grateful to the Greater Manchester League for. When they got together it made everyone sit up and improve their league and now we’ve got a great league.

“Everyone will have something to play for at the top and bottom all through the season.”

Lester believes the addition of Steve Liversedge as team manager is making a difference, along with a pro in Sachithra Serasinghe who bats for the team.

“I’ve not had a team manager while I’ve been skipper, and having the Doc about is absolutely brilliant,” said Lester who scored a half century in a one-wicket defeat at Hyde in the Lancashire Knockout on Sunday.

“He takes the responsibility and pressure off me in a lot of ways and I can focus on my batting and my game.

“The pro has made a really good start with a 40-odd not out at Social Circle and a 70-odd not out against Atherton.

“For the first time in a few years we have a pro who wants to bat his time and we have lads who can bat around him.

“There’s a great local core to the team as well with six or seven lads like Phil Dickinson, me, Chris Evans, Rob Hardman, Jordan Mason and Jordan Evans who’ve come up from the Bradshaw juniors.”

Weekend fixtures

Friday

Dixon Air Conditioning Twenty20 (6.15pm)

Adlington v Blackrod, Lostock v Horwich, Heaton v Eagley, Darcy Lever v Little Lever, Kearsley v Tonge, Westhoughton v Daisy Hill, Atherton v Golborne, Little Hulton v Farnworth.

Saturday

Bolton League (1.30pm)

Premier Division

Bradshaw v Lostock, Farnworth v Westhoughton, Heaton v Eagley, Horwich v Kearsley, Walkden v Farnworth SC.

Association Division

Adlington v Atherton, Daisy Hill v Little Lever, Darcy Lever v Blackrod, Golborne v Astley Bridge, Little Hulton v Tonge.

Sunday

Lancashire Knockout first round

Horwich v Bradshaw, Egerton v Great Eccleston, Clitheroe v Kearsley, Farnworth Social Circle v Glodwick, Rochdale v Walkden, Westhoughton v Flixton, Farnworth v Denton West, Lostock v Clifton.