BOLTON League's under-18 and under-21 trial match at Little Hulton had to be abandoned on Sunday after the pitch became unplayable.

The ground was able to fit in one innings, but as the match was called off shortly after the North and West team's reply had got going the selection for the inter-league squad to take on their Cumbria counterparts has now been postponed.

The game got underway with Bolton Central and South opening the batting. Heaton's Oliver Sutcliffe and Eagley's Will Shuttleworth both staked their claim for a call-up to the inter-league squad by each striking half-centuries.

Westhoughton's Danny Higham chipped in with 41 but Bolton West and North bowlers had their opponents dismissed for 208 with one of the 40 overs remaining.

Matt Readey (1-26) of Blackrod and Horwich's Lewis Haydock (1-30) were the stand-out bowlers.

After an entertaining first half, the second innings failed to follow suit and the match was called off after four overs.

Bowlers Connor Lord and Jay Chhana, of Tonge and Farnworth Social Circle respectively, both extracted vicious life from the ground, forcing the batsmen into a degree of discomfort.

After consultations with both captains and representatives of the host club Little Hulton, umpires Dave Clitheroe and Roy Sturch decided that the match should be abandoned as a draw.

This has caused problems for the Bolton Cricket League selectors who were scheduled to convene yesterday evening to select a team for the Reader Colts match against North Lancashire and Cumbria at Furness CC on Sunday.

The players who made up Sunday's game and are open to selection are Lewis Haydock, Matthew Morris, Tom Billington, Joe Baldwin, Zaid Patel, Marcus Haydock, Nelisha Patel, all of Horwich, Westhoughton's Danny Higham and Jordan Higham, Toby Morgan (Walkden), Atherton quadruple Leighton Smith, Jack Shovelton, Danny Ashton and Harry McManus, and Blackrod's Matt Readey.

Eagley have four players available for selection in Adil Valli, Jack Wainman, Will Shuttleworth and Will Owen, while Heaton have three in Oliver Sutcliffe, Joe Ducker and Kishan Patel.

Ryan Ayres and Jay Chhana are Farnworth Social Circle's representatives, and Jake O'Byrne and Ross Dickinson are competing from Bradshaw.

Hashim Akhtar and Matthew Hargraves, both of Astley Bridge, completed the 22-man trial match.