The club ended months of speculation about its future this week by asking for permission to build a £300,000 home at the town's major sports complex.

The development will include a two storey pavilion, an 18 wicket pitch and practice area, creating the only Premier League status ground in Mid Cheshire.

Chairman Rob Westworth said: "It's going to be very, very good for the town and very, very good for us. Northwich will have access to some excellent facilities."

The Cheshire Cricket Board has expressed an interest in making Moss Farm the base for its youth teams, from the under 11s through to the under 19s.

And Northwich CC hope that will pave the way for a deal to bring the senior side to town.

"I think that this project is so good and so exciting that everyone in Northwich will be happy it's happening.

"Who would have thought that it two year's time, Northwich Cricket Club could potentially be the home of county cricket," added Mr Westworth.

Peter Hancock, from the County Cricket Development Officer, said: "If the grounds come up to standard we would be happy to use them four our junior sides.

"It is the quality of the pitch itself which is of the most importance to us.

"The club's location in the centre of the county is a great plus but I can't speak for the senior county team's plans."

Northwich plan to move to Moss Farm in time for the 2001 season.

Their new home will be built using money raised from the sale of their current ground, Vicarage Road, to property developers Charlton Homes.

They initially planned to build a ground in Wincham, an option which they plan to keep open in the event of their Moss Farm planning application being turned down.

But should borough planners back them, and they are likely to vote in April, Northwich officials will recommend their members approve the move to Moss Farm.

"This is not the end of the process, it's the start," said club treasurer Simon James. "We've put a lot of hard work in already but we're really only at the beginning of a new era."

Rob added: "I never want the club to be asset stripped and the best way to ensure that doesn't happen is by turning it into a Trust."

Trust status would mean the club could not be wound up, nor could it be taken over. The money left over after the ground has been developed will be invested into the Fund, ensuring it can only be accessed via committee consent and can only be used for cricket development.

Should it prove a viable option Mr Westworth hopes to have the Fund in place within 12 months.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.