CELEBRATIONS at Settle went on long into the early hours last Sunday morning as the club toasted its first ever league and cup double (writes Mike Crowther).

In a tense finale to the season with four teams still in the hunt for the title, Settle's five-point win at Read was enough to see them crowned champions by a point from Clitheroe.

Their 49-run win more than made up for last year's final-day disappointment at the same ground when Read denied them the double.

With results elsewhere just as important as what was going on at Read, news filtered through that Padiham were on their way to a comprehensive win at Barnoldswick and bottom club Oswaldtwistle Immanuel had held out in their innings to deny Clitheroe maximum points.

It meant that Settle, having posted a challenging 250-9, could put the field back to defend their total and the hosts finished well short on 201-7.

It was not looking so comfortable earlier in the day as the North Craven side, having been put into bat, slumped from 68-1 to 76-4 to leave them staring defeat in the face.

But that brought Pakistani professional Mohammad Hafeez and Paul Ridgway together and the pair rode the storm to put on 132 for the fifth wicket.

Hafeez hit his fourth century in the league since joining the club in June before being caught for 117 while Ridgway blasted his way to 74 off just 48 balls, including seven sixes.

Both gave chances, with Hafeez being dropped twice before he had reached 10 and Ridgway being let off the hook when looping a 'dolly' to mid-on having made 20. Just like Kevin Pietersen did 48 hours later, the pair made the most of their luck to propel Settle to a score which Davidson believed would be enough.

"I thought the wicket would start to break up batting second and it did," he said.

Stuart Hornby (1-81) did most of the donkey work when Read replied, bowling 23 overs, but it was that combination of Ridgway (2-25) and Hafeez (4-78) again which provided the penetration.

Hafeez also showed his international class in the field by taking a stunning catch at gully, diving low to his right to dismiss opener William Driver off the bowling of Ridgway.

Sub pro Kumar Dharmasena made 69 and Andy Turner got after Hafeez late on in making an unbeaten 38 but Read were always behind the rate.

Davidson said winning the double was the highlight of his career which started way back in 1972. He said it was particularly satisfying as it had been achieved with a team largely made up of home-grown players.