PADIHAM star Callum Clarke hailed his team's Ramsbottom Cup final victory as a 'special day for the club and the town.'

Clarke made 49 as Padiham beat Settle by 55 runs to lift the silverware at Read last weekend.

It was the club's first cup success since 2008 and came on the back of a 268-run victory for Settle in the league just 24 hours earlier.

But Padiham made amends in style on Sunday with a strong all-round performance and Clarke believes his young side will only benefit from the success.

"It was a great occasion," said Clarke. "It was a special day for the club and the town.

"There was plenty of support there from Padiham and it was a great occasion to be involved in.

"It was the first cup final I have won with Padiham and we are a very young team. I think there is only three of us older than 29 and we have a few teenagers in there. It is a great experience for them to have played and won in a cup final at such a young age and we want to try and keep our form going now.

"We have plenty of league games left and we want to make sure we stay in Section A."

The display from Padiham was perhaps all the more impressive given the result of Saturday's league fixture when they were all out for 64 chasing Settle's 332-9.

But Clarke said the side felt that defeat was something of a freak result and was impressed with Padiham's ability to bounce back in the final.

"Saturday could have been so different," he added. "They got more than 300 but could easily have been all out for 150.

"They gave plenty of chances in the league game and we took our chances in the final.

"It was a great performance from us. We wanted to try and get to 200 but in the end were quite happy with190 considering it was a final and the pressure that comes with that.

"It was also important for us to bat our overs out which we have not done enough of.

"We felt quite confident coming out to bowl and then we bowled really well.

"Curtis Meehan took 4-18 and he is only 18 so that was a great performance. He bowls leg spin which is not easy and he can have bad days but he was brilliant on Sunday.

"It was a great day."