BOLTON League sides will kick off their delayed summer of cricket on Friday, July 17.

After recreational cricket was finally given the go-ahead an evening of T20 fixtures in the Dixon Air Conditioning Trophy competition will mark the start of the season.

The following day, July 18, there will be a full programme of first and second team fixtures in the Premier Division and Association.

Sides can play from today under Government guidelines, with some having hastily arranged friendlies, but it will be six days later when the competitive action gets under way.

The revised league programme will mean clubs play each other just once, and for that reason the top Premier Division side come the middle of September will lift the Hamer Cup, not the Warburton Cup as in previous years.

Playing conditions will follow new guidelines laid out by the England and Wales Cricket Board.

Games will still be 11-a-side, but there will be a sanitisation break every six overs for players and umpires and the match ball. Both first and second-team games will last 40 overs.

Social distancing will be taken into account in the field with wicketkeepers and slip fielders asked to be more than one metre apart.

Batsmen will also be asked to stick to strict lanes when running between the wickets to avoid getting too close to the bowler or their partner.

Players are expected to arrive changed and ready to play, and will also have to bring their own food and drink having undergone a “personal symptom check”.

ECB conditions also dictate that groups of no more than 30 should gather for games, including coaches and officials.

Clubs are also being asked to record all those in attendance for NHS Test and Trace reasons.

Bolton Cricket League junior fixtures will start on Sunday morning, July 19, with games for under 9s, under 11s, under 13s, under 15s and under 18s being played midweek evenings, Saturday and Sunday mornings and Sunday afternoons.