SATURDAY marks the start of the Bolton Cricket League season with the first group games in the Peter Stafford Trophy.
It is looking like being a highly competitive season in both the Premiership and Association divisions with little to choose between several teams in both divisions.
Here we give a snapshot of all 20 teams as they prepare for the summer campaign.
BOLTON LEAGUE
PREMIERSHIP
Atherton
Captain: Calum Barlow
Pro: Jesse Dinnie
Overseas: None
Ins: None
Outs: Daniel Hughes (Astley and Tyldesley)
Tip for title: Farnworth
2018 wish: Staying in the division and a good cup run
Captain: Brett Ernst
Pro: Muhammad Saad
Overseas: None
Ins: Brett Ernst (Edgworth), Jack Shovelton (Adlington)
Outs: Marwan Mohammad, Scott Howarth
Daisy Hill
Captain: Ste Chilton
Pro: Agaher Babbar
Overseas: None
Ins: Asif Fazal, Zuhaib Zaman
Outs: Adnan Raees
Tip for the title: Farnworth
2018 wish: For Daisy Hill to score more than 28 all out against Bradshaw, and to avoid relegation back to the Association Division. Some teams might be surprised at the depth we have in our squad this year. Possibly some upsets on the cards in some big games
Farnworth
Captain: Simon Booth
Pro: Noman Ali
Overseas: None
Ins: None
Outs: None
Tip for the title: Horwich
Farnworth Social Circle
Pro: Imran Butt
Overseas: Imran Butt
Ins: Imran Butt, Will Shuttleworth, Nathan Rushton, Andy Cumberbatch (manager)
Outs: Chris Taylor
Tip for the title: Farnworth Social Circle
2018 wish: To win the Hamer Cup
Horwich
Captain: Brett Pelser
Pro: Brett Pelser
Overseas: Chris Campbell (Australia)
Ins: Danny Naylor (Westhoughton), Tayler Hayes (Walkden), Toby Morgan (Walkden)
Outs: Tom Billington (Northern), Ryan Chaisty (Kearsley)
Tip for the title: Westhoughton
2018 wish: Some sun
Kearsley
Captain: Cameron Murray
Pro: Imran Khalid
Overseas:
Ins: Ryan Chaisty (Horwich), Andrew Griffiths
Outs: Charlie Dorsey, Rick Hamblett
Captain: Geoff Earle
Pro: Bradley Williams (South Africa)
Ins: Conner Hicklin
Outs: None
Tip for the title: Walkden
Walkden
Captain: Jonathan Fowler
Pro: Akbar-ur-Rehman
Overseas: Nick Stobart (New Zealand)
Ins: Alex Roberts, Liam Jackson (Enfield), Tiarnan Hamill( Enfield)
Outs: Toby Morgan, Tayler Hayes
Westhoughton
Captain: Rob Houghton
Pro: Qaisar Abbas
Overseas: None
Ins: None
Outs: Danny Naylor (Horwich), Oliver Newby
Tip for the title: Anyone can win it
2018 wish: Some decent weather
ASSOCIATION
Adlington
Captain: Simon Trim
Pro: Kamran Hussain (ex-Liverpool Competition)
Overseas: None
Ins: Uzair Shafiq (wicketkeeper, ex-Liverpool Competition)
Outs: Jack Shovelton (Bradshaw), Adrian van Rensberg (returned to South Africa)
2018 wish: Good weather, competitive – but not confrontational – cricket, respect for umpires and better discipline all round
Captain: David Cryer
Pro: Denuwan Dadallage (Sri Lanka)
Overseas: None
Ins: Jack Bentham (Chorley), Kai Hodgkiss (Westhoughton), Joe Ducker (Heaton)
Outs: Syd De Silva (Egerton), Soyab Taylor (Golborne)
Blackrod
Captain: Joe Pryle
Pro: Thushendra De Zoysa
Overseas: Ashel Sigera
Ins: Ashel Sigera, Rajeewa Pathiraja
Outs: Waseem Hassan
Tip for the title: Horwich (Premiership), Blackrod (Association)
2018 wish: That teams play within the spirit of the game and excessive appealing is reduced
Darcy Lever
Captain: Jimmy Walsh-Hill
Pro: Dominic Gavin
Ins: Sam Crook (wicketkeeper, unattached)
Outs: Nick Fawcett (retired)
Tip for the title: Kearsley (Premiership), Heaton (Association)
Eagley
Captain: Jack Wainman
Pro: Kasun Vidura Adikari (Sri Lanka)
Overseas: None
Ins: None
Outs: Paul Rayment (retired), Will Shuttleworth (Farnworth Social Circle)
Golborne
Captain: Tom Pantak
Pro: Adnan Raees (Pakistan)
Overseas: None
Ins: Soyab Taylor (Astley Bridge), George Corfield
Outs: Lewis Clarke, Liaq Ur-Rehman, Fahad Mahmand
Tip for the title: Heaton
2018 wish: Some good weather and better grounds/wickets.
Heaton
Captain: Gary Garner
Pro: Anwar-ul-Haq
Outs: Joe Gatenby-Brown, Ahmed Matloob
Captain: Suleiman Muhammad
Pro: Mohammed Waqas
Overseas: None
Ins: Mark Penny, Abdul Waheed
Outs: Fida Hussian (last year's pro)
Tip for title: Astley Bridge (strong side)
2018 wish: To compete for the title and try to get into the Premier Division
Captain: Josh Gent
Pro: Adil Nisar
Overseas: None
Outs: Adnan Khan
Tip for title: Little Lever
2018 wish: Good weather
Tonge
Captain: Danny Delvard
Pro: Tilaksha Malshan
Overseas: Cameron Lucas
Ins: George Brodie
Outs: None
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