Lancashire cricket set for shake-up

The link-up between two of the oldest cricket leagues in Lancashire - the Northern Premier League and the Palace Shield - is expected to be all but formalised on Monday night.

By The Newsroom

Published 5th Dec 2016, 07:04 GMT

Updated 6th Dec 2016, 16:23 GMT

A merger between the two competitions with promotion and relegation will be the hot topic under debate at Fleetwood Cricket Club, which hosts the annual meeting of the Northern League.

The Palace Shield have already indicated that they welcome the concept and the Northern League are expected to follow suit which will change the landscape of club cricket not just in Lancashire but stretching into Cumbria as well.

If the merger gets the go-ahead, then a system of promotion and relegation is expected be instigated in time for the start of the 2018 cricket season.

Also under debate at Broadwater this evening will be a discussion on how many overseas players will be allowed at Northern League clubs.

The chances are that this will be reduced from two to one.