Cup final treble offers tasty prospect

Keen anticipation is bound to be tempered by recent weather patterns, but if a full programme is permitted, some interesting cricket is in prospect.

For the last ten years, Oakworth and Embsay have been accepted as the top two sides in Craven cricket, and these two have battled their way through to the Wynn Cup final, which is being staged this year at Cononley CC, with a 1.30pm start, and is sponsored by Dacre Son & Hartley.

Both combatants appear to have taken their eyes off the ball in recent weeks, which has allowed Barrowford to jump to top spot in the League, but there has long been a competitive edge to games between the sides and Sunday will be no exception.

Settle were hopeful that this might have been a treble winning season when they went to the top of the Veka Ribblesdale League last weekend and were looking ahead to last Sunday's Lancashire Cup semi-final and the Ramsbottom Cup final against Great Harwood this weekend.

Defeat by Westhoughton, however, scuppered that possibility, but the Marshfield men would be more than happy with a Ribblesdale League double.

Having beaten Sunday's opponents twice in the league already this season, Settle will be favourites to take the trophy, but they will go into the game with no misconceptions that their opponents are capable of upsetting their ambitions.

Last weekend Great Harwood toppled Senior Division leaders Read to put Settle in top spot.

Meanwhile, at Ilkley, Steeton Seconds will be hoping to clinch the first part of a double when they take on Rawdon at Olicanian CC.

Their opponents, however, are in third place in the Division A second team competition, so the Summerhill men will not be expecting an easy passage. So far they have beaten teams from the bottom two sections and are clearly in fine fettle at the moment, but they will need to be on their mettle on Sunday.

On the league front tomorrow, Skipton will be hoping that a derby game at Steeton will bring out their best, while there is the same added edge when Upper Wharfedale entertain local rivals Addingham.

Top game in the J P Mewies Craven League tomorrow is the meeting of leaders Barrowford and Oakworth at Cure Hill. Oakworth won't know whether to laugh or cry if they win the game to put arch-rivals Embsay back in top spot - if they win at Cullingworth - but to stay in the title hunt they need to keep winning, so both sides have plenty to play for.

The weekend fixtures include:

Tomorrow

Veka Ribblesdale League

Earby v Edenfield, Ribblesdale Wanderers v Barnoldswick, Settle v Cherry Tree.

Airedale & Wharfedale League

Division B: Silsden v Pool, Steeton v Skipton. Division C: Upper Wharfedale v Addingham.

J P Mewies Craven League

Division One: Haworth v Thornton, Foulridge v Cowling, Haworth WE v Long Lee, Bradley v Sutton, Cullingworth v Embsay, Oakworth v Barrowford.

Division Two: Ingrow St John's v Airedale, Pendle Forest v Bingley Congs, Skipton CI v Denholme, Chatburn v Ingrow, Cononley v Haworth Road, Glusburn v Wilsden.

Division Three: Gargrave v Crossflatts, Embsay II v Carleton, Barrowford II v Oakworth II, Thornton II v Ingrow St John's II, Cowling II - free, Riddlesden v Sandy Lane.

Division Four: Ingrow II v Bradley II, Haworth Road II v Cullingworth II, Wilsden II v Glusburn II, Airedale II v Haworth II, Bingley Congs II v Pendle Forest II, Long Lee II v Skipton CI II.

Division Five: Sutton II v Chatburn II, Pendle Forest III v Cononley II, Sandy Lane II v Riddlesden II, Crossflatts II v Gargrave II, Foulridge - free, Denholme II v Keighley TC.

Sunday

Castlemaine Ramsbottom Cup final

Settle v Great Harwood at Marshfield, Settle.

JP Mewies Craven League Wynn Cup final

Embsay v Oakworth at Cononley CC

Airedale & Wharfedale League Birtwhistle Cup final at Olicanian

Rawdon Seconds v Steeton Seconds