Lancashire's Steven Croft goes in to bat on behalf of club cricketers

After many years of guest appearances for hometown club Blackpool, Croft switched allegiances to Lytham three years ago but believes all league cricket has a vital role to play in the wellbeing of the game.

He also believes the introduction of promotion and relegation between the Northern League and Palace Shield has been greatly beneficial to both competitions.

After 15 years as a first-class player with the Red Rose, Croft has never lost touch with his roots, as he explained to BBC Radio Lancashire.

He said: “I’ve been playing club cricket all my life and the numbers have been going down for 20-25 years.

“It is quite time-consuming and you get a drop-off around the teenage years, so club cricket is vital to keep those numbers.”

Of his switch from Stanley Park to Church Road, he explained: “I still speak to Danno (Blackpool captain Paul Danson), having shifted to Lytham a few years ago. Blackpool is probably still my home club but I’ve settled at Lytham.

“Geographically, it’s just over the road for me and the standard was higher than the Northern League at the time but Blackpool still has a massive place in my heart.

“The year I moved my form had dipped, and going back to (Northern) league cricket, the standard was not what I was used to or what I wanted. People I spoke to said the Liverpool Competition was a really good league and I moved with a heavy heart.

“Since then, the Northern League has merged with the Palace Shield. I always liked the Palace Shield as a comp, and the promotion and relegation has strengthened the league. It has helped the Northern League, with teams not wanting to be relegated.”

Normal league cricket won’t be taking place this year with all domestic cricket ruled out, at least until August.

“There will be no overseas professional this year, so if we do play there will be an extra spot or two for local lads,” Croft said.

“A lot of clubs fall into the trap of spending their money on (professional) players. I think you spend money on your ground first and foremost and on coaching because that next generation you bring through will help your club. Investing in your own club is massive for me.”