Cricket: The Northern League may yet become a Premier League for Lancashire cricket after an about-turn over their decision to play 120-over matches.

The Northern League, whose clubs include Chorley, Darwen and Preston, had originally indicated they did not want to play the 120-over format stipulated by the England and Wales Cricket Board for leagues seeking premiership status.

The Liverpool Competition was therefore set to become the flag-bearer of cricket in the county.

But the re-think by the Northern League has prompted the ECB to defer a decision over setting up a Lancashire Premier League for the year 2000.

And they will now hold further talks with the Lancashire Cricket Board and interested leagues which could see the Northern League assume premier status, possibly alongside the Liverpool Competition.

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