THE 2016 Lancashire League cricket season ended in dramatic fashion on Sunday when Ramsbottom just pipped the reigning champions Burnley to the title after they won a nerve twisting match with Nelson at Seedhill.

The league is known throughout the world as down the years some of the very best players in cricket have turned out for the 14 clubs.

Names like Learie Constantine, who was quite rightly honoured as Lord Constantine of Nelson, Bill Alley, Kapil Dev, Clyde Walcott, Frank Worrall, Dennis Lillie, Michael Holding, Viv Richards, Steve Waugh and Allan Donald have graced the grounds of the 14 and the league’s history is long and rich.

Indeed, many young players have travelled over to East Lancashire to learn their trade before going on to greatness.

Legendary Australian spinner Shane Warne is perhaps one of the best examples as he went from a season with Accrington to become arguably the greatest ‘leggie’ the world has seen.

The Lancashire Cricket League was formed on March 16 1892, growing from the North East Cricket League that had been formed 17 months earlier. Currently in membership are Accrington, Bacup, Burnley, Church, Colne, East Lancashire, Enfield, Haslingden, Lowerhouse, Nelson, Ramsbottom, Rawtenstall, Rishton, and Todmorden. In the early years Bury were also members but they withdrew after participating for just two seasons.

But there are changes on the way from next year with Great Harwood, Clitheroe and Darwen joining meaning a new era for the competition.

So with changes in the offing, it seems apt to take a look back.

And if you search around the You Tube internet channel,you can find some real discoveries.

In fact, there are a series of films from 1949 featuring the cricketers of Rawtenstall and they make a fascinating watch.

One in particular tells the story of the game between Rawtenstall and Bacup - a real derby match by any description - and the film shows the Lancashire League at its golden best,

The crowds pouring into the Worswick Memorial Ground are almost unbelievable as thousands upon thousands of fans get off buses and queue to pay for their afternoon’s entertainment on a sunny day in June 1949.

It’s a very family crowd. Dad wearing his Sunday best including the essential trilby and mum all dolled up for the occasion.

Children were also smartly dressed as the crowd, who would have spent the week working in the mills, enjoyed a day out in the sunshine.

Bacup’s professional that day was Everton Weekes, the great West Indian, while Indian superstar Vijay Hazare turned out for Rawtenstall.

The match ended in a draw but the footage is fascinating and from another time.

The films were uploaded to You Tube by Rawtenstall’s friendly gateman Nigel Birch, who tells us they were filmed by the then club president George Whittaker, who was also a prominent local mill owner.

They are well worth a watch and can be found at youtube.com/watch?v=4pwok82XulA.