CAPTAIN Michael Farley has praised Radcliffe Cricket Club's total togetherness as they look to recover from relegation.

The first team will return to the Greater Manchester League Division Three after one season out of it next season.

But Farley sees reasons to be optimistic, not least because he says everyone at the Racecourse is pulling in the same direction.

"We have very committed people behind the scenes," he said.

"We have about 10 people on the committee and they put in lots of work for the good of the club.

"A good thing is everyone at the club is striving towards the same thing – develop a good club, win games, have the best team we can, progress juniors and coach them as well as we can.

"All those things help build a good club and everyone at the club is working together to do that.

"There are no divides in the club, which is what happens at some clubs between the junior and senior sections."

Farley says one of the ways Radcliffe are looking to develop both the senior and junior sections is by giving youth a chance on the pitch.

"We are not wasting money on cricketers – professionals or amateurs," he said.

"A lot of players have left the club in the past because they could not get first-team cricket because there were paid players ahead of them.

"That isn't happening now. We don't pay any players and we have a very young side who are developing nicely together."