TWO amateur Cricket leagues have been given a pre-season boost thanks to a partnership struck up with the English Cricket Board and the local council.

For the Blackburn Midweek Cricket League and the Byrom Supplies Blackburn Amateur League will get to use three new wickets at Pleasington Playing Fields -- and more could follow next season.

It comes after the two leagues, Blackburn with Darwen Council and a leading figure in the ECB took the unusual steps of organising a meeting at Pleasington.

Fred Cumpstey, the council's head of community and recreation, said: "There has been a lot of correspondents between all parties concerned and that has been a recipe for conflict in the past.

"But rather than sit around the table we decided to go and have a look at the state of the pitches and there was some very good dialogue between us all.

"We were able to secure funding for up to three new pitches so it was decided that we should all meet up to decide which ones should be replaced.

"Bruce Cruise, facility manager with the ECB, attended the meeting and it was a great help for us all to meet up. We are hoping to be able to secure more funding for cricket in the borough and next year we hope we can improve facilities even further."

Len Rigby, chairman of the Byrom Supplies BAL, said he is delighted with the news which has now seen five of the nine wickets replaced in the past three years.

He said: "Bruce Cruise's assistance certainly added weight behind our campaign and we are very happy with the council for improving those facilities."

Mark Eggleston of the Blackburn Midweek League also thanked the Blackburn with Darwen Cricket Development Group. He said: "The Development Group has helped both leagues in their aim for better facilities. Like the ECB's intervention, it has added that bit of extra weight the leagues did not have."

New matting has also been put down at Blacksnape Playing Fields in Darwen.

Meanwhile both leagues believe they are in good shape for the forthcoming season.

Like the BAL, the Midweek League also has a sponsor in Asian News while both leagues have a full compliment of 20 teams.

And the Midweek League intends to revive a cup competition that has not been played for more than 20 years. A representative league side will pit their wits against top teams Cherry Tree, Darwen, East Lancs and Feniscowles.

League secretary Anthony Edmundson said: "We'd like to think that we cold raise a pretty good team from all the players on show in the Midweek League.

"We'd love to give the big boys a run for their money the only difficulty will be deciding which 11 players to pick."

The new competition, formerly known as the Clayton Cup, does not have a name as yet for this season.

But any local organisations who would like to get involved should contact Mark Eggleston on 01254 396698.