RADCLIFFE Cricket Club have withdrawn their second team from the Greater Manchester Cricket League and asked for their first team to be dropped down a division after raising concerns they could not fund two teams in the new set-up.

The decision was taken at an extraordinary general meeting last week and confirmed by the GMCL on Tuesday.

The league have agreed to let the first team drop down to Division Two and withdrawn their second XI from Division Four West.

They will now field a development squad in the GMCL's Sunday League instead.

Captain Chris Berry said: "We could not justify spending money on a professional (Raheel Majeed) at this time so the decision was taken by the whole committee at a meeting last week.

"We have also lost quite a few players – all Radcliffe lads – over the last few years and we were unsure if we would be able to field 22 players every week.

"The nucleus of the squad is still good but looking at the standard of the teams and players we would be facing this season in Division One, there was a danger that we would not have the numbers and the finances to be competitive.

"Dropping down to Division Two and pooling our senior playing squad into one team felt like the right thing to do.

"The only other option would have been to promote some of our junior players, but while we have some talented youngsters at the club I don't think they are ready to make that step up.

"To go from 20 overs to 45 and 50-over cricket is a big jump.

"This way we can manage their development properly.

"The idea is that we can regroup this season, bring some of the youngsters through in the development squad and look at it again next year."

The GMCL moved quickly to plug the gap, moving the Whalley Range first team up to Division One, allowing Radcliffe to take their place in Division Two.

Whalley Range's second XI have also been moved from Division Four East to take the place of Radcliffe's seconds in Division Four West, while Droylsden's second XI have been promoted to fill the remaining place in Division Four East.

A spokesman for GMCL said: "GMCL has the flexibility to respond and are delighted to be able to respond to these requests swiftly and positively and support the club (Radcliffe) in its rebuilding efforts.

"We approached the clubs next in line from our initial placement criteria to ask if they were able to step up at short notice and pleasingly those clubs have held the necessary discussions within a very short space of time."