CHRIS Holt is hoping Vinny Hanson wins his Worsley Cup fitness battle and says the final would be less of an occasion without the Rawtenstall skipper – even though his ears wouldn’t be taking such a bashing if the wicketkeeper missed out.


Burnley professional Holt, himself playing a first Worsley Cup final in his first full Lancashire League season wants to see Hanson behind the stumps when he walks out to bat tomorrow, even though it would mean a verbal battering.


“I love all that stuff,” said Holt. “When we played Rawtenstall in the league Vinny never shut up.
“He started when I walked out to bat and  carried on right through my innings. I probably can’t repeat a lot of what was said – but it was funny.


“There’s never anything nasty about it and we all had a good laugh in the bar after.


“That’s what league cricket is about and if Vinny misses out on Sunday it will be a real shame.”


Burnley are slight favourites going into the game but skipper Bharat Tripathi, who is trying to get his hands on the Worsley Cup for a second successive season, knows it is a tough test which can go either way.


“We are facing the most dangerous side in this year’s competition,” he said. “They have hit two scores of 220 plus and one of 300 in the competition so far so we know how good they are.


“But we have turned our form around after a bad start and will be going all out to retain the trophy.”