BROOKSBOTTOM edged out Elton to seal promotion from Division Two of the Greater Manchester Cricket League in a winner-takes-all finale to the season.

Moshin Iqbal was the star for Oliver Hawley's men, hitting 80 from 41 balls to steer the home side to 220 all out before taking 4-53 as Elton fell 77 runs short of their target.

Promotion to Division One represented a dramatic turnaround in Brooksbottom's fortunes after they staved off relegation on the final day of last season.

"There was a real possibility last season that the club could have folded," said chairman Richard Ernill, who made an appeal for players in the Bury Times last year as Brox struggled to fulfill their second-team fixtures.

"It was down to a sheer lack of players.

"We managed to survive on loan players last season and got through to the end of the campaign, so this year has obviously been a massive step in the right direction.

"We were able to recruit a few players over the summer and one or two players who weren't available last season were able to play this year.

"We probably had about eight or nine more players to choose from so it was a lot easier to field teams."

Brox claimed 16 wins and just eight defeats from their 26 matches to finish in the fourth and final promotion place.

After a fine start to the campaign, which saw them reach as high as second in the table, they suffered a slump but rallied to finish the season eight matches unbeaten – winning six, with the other two abandoned due to rain.

Ernill believes a much-improved spirit in the dressing room, as well as Hawley's captaincy, helped pull them through.

"It was Oliver's first year as captain and he had a big impact," said Ernill.

"He was one of those players who agreed to start playing again, making the promise in a drunken conversation in Barcelona last September, which he thankfully kept.

"Oliver helped to bring everyone together and I have to say the team spirit this year has been incredible.

"We came through a sticky patch, but every player stuck together and was up for every game – from the first to the last."

Brooksbottom had to show a steady nerve on the final day, when they not only had to beat Elton, who also needed to win to stand a chance of promotion, but had to rely on either third-placed Thornham or fourth-placed Whalley Range losing to leap-frog them into the top four.

Thornham's match at home to second-placed Swinton Moorside was abandoned without play, putting them out of reach and leaving Brox sweating on the result of Whalley Range's match at lowly Westleigh.

"We knew one of our chances had gone before the start of the game, but I told the lads in the dressing room not to keep us updated about the other match," added Ernill.

"As it happened, Whalley Range were reduced to 34-8 in the first innings but fought back to finish on 104. Thankfully, Westleigh were able to finish the job with five down.

"We were told once the Whalley Range result was confirmed, but our match was finely balanced at that point.

"Mo had put us in a good position with a fantastic innings.

"He came in after our first wicket fell. We had only reached 26 after 18.5 overs, yet Mo hit 50 from 17 balls.

"Considering how much our openers had struggled, his ball striking was incredible.

"But Elton got off to a good start in their innings and put on 79 for the first wicket.

"At that stage, there was drizzle in the air and Elton were well ahead on Duckworth Lewis.

"Thankfully, the rain held off and once Adam Stansfield, their opener, went for 62 the result was never really in doubt."

When the last Elton wicket fell, Ernill admitted there was a feeling of anti-climax, but he said their achievement eventually sunk in during a celebration that lasted well into Sunday morning.

"I was actually the only one who realised when the last wicket went as the ball just nicked off one of the bails," he said.

"I raised my arms to the sky in celebration but everyone else was chasing after the ball.

"Because the result was inevitable by that point there was no big reaction, we were all probably too shattered after a long, hard season, but we made up for it in the dressing room and then in the pub later.

"Our veteran slow bowler David Brown, who grabbed three wickets, including the prized scalp of Adam Stansfield with a fine caught and bowled, had us all in stitches when, out of the blue at about 2am he suddenly sparked into a speech.

"He stood up and said 'lads, going up to Division One is going to be tough, we can't turn up to a gunfight with a water pistol, so will need to work hard and recruit well'.

"He was right, of course. Time is probably right for a few of our older players to step down so we will have to build again for next year, but right now all we are thinking about is extending the party.

"This is the club's first promotion since 2001, in the old Manchester and District Cricket Association, and our biggest achievement since winning the Surridge Cup back in 2006.

"We have a club trip to Benidorm planned for this weekend, so we will enjoy the moment for a bit longer before the hard work begins again planning for next year."