THORNTON have won the ENCO Halifax League’s Briggs Priestley Parish Cup for the fourth time in six seasons.

And, as in 2023, when the final was played at Copley, their opponents in the final were Illingworth St Mary’s.

Last year the margin was 16 runs, but this time the margin was a much more emphatic seven wickets.

Illingworth won the toss and elected to bat but the opening overs brought few runs and a run out.

Progress continued to be slow as the Thornton trio of Ross Parr, Grant Soames and Greg Soames, tied the batters down, the latter two taking a wicket apiece.

Opener Gary Fellows (23), middle-order ace Isaac Thompson (36) and skipper Matthew Smith (29) all made scores, but struggled to find any rhythm, and Illingworth looked to be in huge trouble on 112-6.

The saviours of the innings were numbers seven and eight, in keeper Steven Cook (41 not out) and Jamie Moorhouse (32).

The first pair to show aggressive batting, they added 73 in 64 balls before Moorhouse was run out off the last ball, making the final total 182-7.

Thornton’s reply was much quicker, and they had 50 up inside 10 overs.

Grant Soames and Jordan Croft reached a century partnership before Soames was trapped lbw for 58 off 56 balls to make it 109-1.

Max Rawson soon joined him in the pavilion, before Josh Hutchinson (27) joined the fray at 139-2, he and Croft taking the score to within six runs of the target before he was caught.

Matthew Wear hit the winning runs with two fours as Thornton closed on a winning 186-3 in the 39th over, Croft batting through the innings and making 67 not out in a man of the match display.