ONE of the leading figures in Lancashire's new local cricket governing body says the Bolton League should not change.

Warren Hegg, the former Lancashire and England player who is now the head of cricket business at the Lancashire Cricket Foundation, was speaking at a question-and-answer session at Tonge Cricket Club last week.

His positive comments about the Bolton League follow an eventful couple of years in local cricket which have seen the Greater Manchester League formed at the expense of three local leagues, including the Bolton Association.

Asked what he thought about the developments in the Bolton and surrounding area since the Greater Manchester League was set up, Hegg said: "Bolton's not broke, I wouldn't fix it."

Hegg told the audience how his time at Tonge had been crucial in his development as a player.

"I came to Tonge as a youngster from Stand Cricket Club and it was completely different," he said.

"The Bolton League always had the best professionals, the best overseas amateurs and was the most competitive.

"I learned so much from playing at Tonge in the Bolton League.

"I got a lot of help from a lot of people and it helped shape me as a cricketer and as a person.

"I always say it stood me in good stead later on in my career."

Hegg also presented a cheque for £1,000 to Tonge member Tom Schofield who had won it on the monthly Lancashire Line lottery which helps raise money for local clubs and the county club.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the Greater Manchester League, Martin Kay, also praised the Bolton League last week.

Speaking on Bolton FM, he said: "From Bolton’s point of view the cricket’s still strong with the amalgamation of the [Bolton] Association and the [Bolton] League and from what I see they are quite comfortable in that."

On the relationship between the two leagues, he said: "We’re getting closer.

"There were difficult times when the league was being set up, and there was a lot of harshness that came out, which was not necessarily from the administrators, it was created from a lot of players, a lot of clubs really, it was the fear of the unknown.

"We still get on well with the Bolton League and we’ll keep talking and we’ll keep working together."

And he said he did not believe clubs had stopped moving from one league to another.

“I think there is still going to be some movement between leagues for the next two to three years,” he added in an interview with the Bolton community radio station.