TWO major North West cricket leagues are to merge next year.

Officials of the Manchester & District Association and the North West Counties League have agreed plans to amalgamate.

They will form a new league structure of 28 clubs.

A Premier League of a dozen clubs will result from an Alliance Competition to be played this summer; there will also be two further divisions each with a maximum of 12 clubs.

As a result the two leagues are looking for eight new clubs of suitable standard to apply for membership for the 2000 season.

The merger will bring together old, established clubs such as Stretford, Monton, Winton, Flixton and Whalley Range from the Manchester Association with equally long-founded clubs such as Hindley St Peter's, West Leigh, Bickershaw, Culcheth Daten and Glazebury from the North West Counties League.

Clubs wishing to join the new league in 200 should contact Frances Harris on 0161-282-1454.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.