BURY Cricket Club will join the Bolton Association next season determined to impress both on and off the field.

The Radcliffe Road men will leave the Manchester Association at the end of the season to play in the world’s second oldest cricket league.

And they will enter with improved facilities after plans to build their first purpose-built pavilion for 80 years were approved this week.

It is the start of an exciting new era for the club who were established in 1845.

Chairman Mark Smith said there was an element of sadness at leaving the Manchester Association, where they have played for generations, but that the overriding feeling was of excitement at the challenges ahead.

“We’re progressive and we want to play at the highest standard we can," he said.

“We’ve only been in three leagues in 170 years, so we’re not choppers and changers – we’re stickers. But we also want to develop and improve ourselves, and opportunities like this don’t come around very often.

“We’ve had success and a great relationship with the Manchester Association, but if we want to progress the club and play at the highest standard, we have to move leagues.

“The Bolton Association is a classic fit. The perception is that it is a stronger league than our existing one, and it has a phenomenal tradition which we respect. Can we step up to it? Who knows, only time will tell, but we’re very excited about the future.

“We’ve got a good square, good outfield, we put on a good day and we play hard. We’re not going there to make up the numbers, but we’re also going there progress in many other ways, too.

“Plans have been passed for a separate purpose-built clubhouse with changing rooms, umpires room, tea room and veranda that the players can walk straight out of onto the pitch.

“We’ve not had that for 80 years. We’ll also have a new nets facility.”

Smith said he hoped the move would help Bury attract better players and keep more of the juniors they develop.