CRICKET ace Richie Berrington has confirmed his exit from Glenpark and says he is leaving Greenock with a heavy heart.

The Scottish internationalist will ply his trade at Western Premier League side Clydesdale this season.

Richie, 27, leaves Greenock Cricket Club after 15 years in search of a fresh challenge and in a bid to cement his place in the Scotland squad for the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand next year.

The former Greenock Academy pupil was an important player in Scotland’s qualification trophy win in February to help the national side seal their place at the showpiece event.

But he knows he has to keep playing well to earn a place at the World Cup — and that prompted him to move up a league to join Clydesdale to make sure he is in peak condition.

He told the Tele: “It only happened a couple of weeks ago. I’m now playing for Clydesdale.

“It’s obviously not easy to leave Greenock because I had been there since I was a junior and I have a close connection there.

“But I have to play Premier League cricket.

“Although there’s a long way to go until the World Cup, it’s an important year and I have to play as best I can.

“As soon as we qualified I had to think of my options and I thought I needed a new challenge and to play Premier League cricket.

“It wasn’t easy to leave Greenock but this is a new challenge and I’m looking forward to playing with Clydesdale and working with the guys.” The South African-born all-rounder signed on at Glenpark when he was 12 after moving to Inverclyde with his family, including mum Sandra who is from Greenock.

He leaves his hometown club with a heavy heart and thanked everyone for their support.

Richie is now looking forward to joining his Scotland team-mate Majid Haq and is also excited about working with coach Con de Lange.

He said: “Clydesdale are one of the stronger clubs in the west.

“I know Clydesdale quite well because I have played there a lot in the past and I always enjoyed it and had some good results.

“I would like to thank Greenock for all their support over the years.” Although the cricket season is already under way, Richie has yet to step onto the pitch as he is recovering from an ankle injury.

But he is on the road to recovery and hopes to start making an impact soon.

He added: “I’ve had an ankle problem for the last five or six weeks.

“But I’m doing rehab and working with the physio and hopefully I will be back playing in the next few weeks.”