THE two cricket clubs leaving the Bolton League for the Greater Manchester League have both been placed in the top division of their new league.

The GMCL yesterday made their eagerly-awaited announcement of which divisions the top 36 of their 52 clubs would be in next season.

Egerton and Greenmount, who are the only two of the 14 Bolton League clubs to leave to join the GMCL were both placed in the Premier Division.

Also placed in the top flight are Edgworth, Flixton and Bury who have left the Bolton Association for the GMCL.

Nine clubs chose to switch from the Association to the GMCL – with the other nine joining the BCL.

Five of the other six ex-Association clubs were placed in Division One.

They are Astley and Tyldesley, Swinton Moorside, Walshaw, Winton and Worsley, while the sixth – Westleigh – have been placed in Division Two.

Initial reaction from clubs on Twitter was that they were happy with the divisions they had been allocated.

Egerton, like Bury club Greenmount, were expected to be placed in the top tier, and club secretary Mike Hall said they were happy to be put there.

He said: "We had got confidence in the process and we are happy with our placing.

"There are going to be some tough and difficult games next season and we'll do our best to represent our club."

The former chairman of the Bolton League until this season added about his former league which is expanding from 14 to between 21 and 24 clubs next season: "There should also be some equally good cricket in the Bolton League.

"The Bolton League has a great opportunity to organise themselves and develop the league further."

Edgworth captain Guy Haynes said: "We felt we were challenging for a place in the top division and would get either that or we would be one of the favourites in Division One.

"We are delighted to be placed in the Premier Division. It is great vindication of what we are trying to achieve as a club.

"But it is also going to be a challenge because they are very good teams in there and there is going to be intense competition.

"We are massively looking forward to the challenge, it's going to be very exciting."

Astley and Tyldesley have worked hard in recent years to improve their club on and off the field and they are pleased to have been given a place in the second tier.

Chairman Paul Finch said: "At this moment in time with the calibre of clubs in the elite division we didn't expect to be in there.

"Division One also looks to be a strong division and we know we are going to have to work very hard to do well in it.

"But we're really looking forward to it, these are really exciting times and we've worked hard to get the club to the standard it is now and we're looking to continue to improve.

"We've worked hard on the ground over the last eight or nine years – anyone who hasn't been to the ground for that period of time wouldn't recognise it if they came now and we've big plans to move forward in the future."

The full GMCL league listings are:

Premier League

Bury, Clifton, Denton St Lawrence, Denton West, Edgworth, Egerton, Flixton, Glossop, Greenmount, Heywood, Prestwich, Unsworth.

Division One

Astley and Tyldesley, Bamford Fieldhouse, Dukinfield, Elton, Radcliffe, Roe Green, Swinton Moorside, Walshaw, Winton, Woodbank, Woodhouses, Worsley.

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Division Two

Brooksbottom, Denton, Droylsden, Edenfield, Flowery Field, Irlam, Stand, Stretford, Thornham, Westleigh, Whalley Range, Wythenshawe.