ONE of Bury's most successful Cricket teams is facing its biggest challenge. That is to play on home soil.

Jinnah Cricket Club, formed in 1995, wants a permanent ground in Bury because it has to play all its home games at Smithills in Bolton.

Only once in its short history has the club been able to play its home games in Bury, at Derby High School in 1998.

This year, the state of the Smithills ground has led to two home games being postponed.

The side, which plays in the Greater Manchester Amateur League where it currently lies top of the first division, has won a number of trophies since its inception.

President Mr Malik Mohammed Rashid appealed for help in providing the team with suitable facilities at a meeting of the Bury East Board at Holy Trinity Primary School.

He said: "A local team should be able to play in their home town, instead of having to go to other towns.

"We feel we are getting nowhere with this, so much so that some of our members want to stage a demonstration at the town hall. We feel this is the only town which is ignorant of the needs of the community."

Councillor Connie Fitzgerald said: "I can understand the frustration. The team has won a number of prestigious trophies, and the ground where they now have to play is not up to standard.

"Two schools, Derby and Broad Oak, are being looked at."

Board chairman, Councillor Trevor Holt, said members were sympatheitc to the club's situation and the board would endeavour to help find a solution.

Club chairman Ayyaz Khan told the Bury Times: "We have a 16-strong squad, and a very good youth system. I'm sure we could run two teams, but we need to have facilities in Bury to enable us to do this."

He added: "We had to stop playing at Derby High in 1998 because the pitch became dangerous and batsmen were getting hit."