The North West Cricket League has made the decision to postpone the start to the season, which will now begin on April 22.

The newly-formed league, which is an amalgamation of the Ribblesdale League and the Bolton Cricket League was due to commence this weekend.

However, while clubs worked hard over the Easter weekend to prepare their grounds, subsequent heavy rain, coupled with a poor weather forecast for the remainder of the week, lead to the league's executive making their decision.

The matches will be played later in the season.

League secretary Ray Taylor said: "Even if in the unlikely event of a handful of grounds being fit for Saturday, there would have been serious damage to the pitches.

"Grounds do not recover in the early spring as they do during the summer."

Ribblesdale League champions Settle will now begin their season at home to Farnworth next Saturday.