HOLDERS Burnley’s T20 opener has a familiar look tonight as they line up against last year’s beaten finalists Rawtenstall at Turf Moor.

The treble-winners have had a shaky start to the season in the league, with three defeats already, but have progressed to the second round of the Worsley Cup.

MORE TOP STORIES:

This evening they have the chance to give their T20 campaign the best possible start with a home clash in the Pride of Pendle group, which also contains Colne, Enfield, Ramsbottom, Haslingden, East Lancashire, as well as Rawtenstall.

And captain Bharat Tripathi cannot wait for the action to get started.

He said: “We couldn’t start with a tougher match, playing last year's’ runners-up.

“We know it’s going to be hard but we are really looking forward to this match and the other games in our group, which is a tough one.

“But it’s good to have the first match at home, which means you can have a little bit more control, and hopefully we can put on a good show.”

Burnley’s Stephen Brunt topped the batting averages in the competition last year, while Vishal Tripathi was high in the charts for runs scored with 260 in six innings.

And the form of the skipper’s brother should give his side a confidence boost, with Vishal closing in on 400 runs already in the league this summer.

The Turf Moor men benefitted from a new attitude towards the T20 competition last season, and Bharat Tripathi is keen for that to continue.

He added: “The format is one we really enjoy playing. The decision was taken last year to go out in the T20 matches and focus on playing attractive cricket and enjoying it.

“We were quite relaxed with how we approached it and because you play on a Friday night straight after work, you don’t have much time before you’re out there batting. You just get on with it.

“With the music and everything else that goes with it, the matches can be a very enjoyable experience.”

Rawtenstall have drafted in Will Bosisto from Rochdale as sub-professional for tonight’s Turf Moor tussle.