OUTSIDERS Thornton will be hoping to defy the odds and add to Oakworth’s recent Wynn Cup woes in Sunday’s final at Cure Hill (1.30pm).

Oakworth top the Mewies Craven League Division One and are hot favourites playing on their own ground.

But Thornton will be well aware that their opponents have lost in the final in each of the last three seasons.

It is a statistic which gives Dave Scothern’s side a real glimmer of hope as they strive to lift the trophy for the seventh time in what will be their 13th appearance in the showpiece game.

Thornton, languishing in the lower reaches of the top flight, have been showing some form of late, although they did have a blip last week at the hands of Haworth.

Dave Scothern is a knowledgeable skipper and he has in his ranks the mercurial Kev Pollard, who played in the winning sides of 1981 and 1982.

He is the man they will hope to build their innings around, with contributions coming from James Greenwood, Jonny Martin, Chris Bowker and Scothern himself.

Jack Laycock, a good middle-order hitter, will lead the attack and if he keeps his calm he can be a handful with the ball. Luke Scothern has been taking wickets regularly with his leg spin, as have Bowker and Dave Scothern.

The vastly-experienced Michael Scarborough captains Oakworth and has at his disposal a powerful batting line up that includes Jack Hainsworth, Rob Hopkinson, Gareth Marshall and Paul Spragg.

Jack Davison Brannan Lawn and Adam Smith add quality to the middle order whilst Matt House and Steve Filkin form a formidable opening attack which will be supplemented by Scarborough, Davison and Smith.

The teams have met three times in early rounds and once in a final (2006) with Oakworth leading that race by three games to one.