Paul Fitzpatrick, last year's Accrington and District League player of the year and Sunday's Man of the Match scored a Cup-winning knock of 41 not out.

League leaders Attock began as heavy favourites with such a strong batting line-up as they attempted the first leg of a possible treble, including the Mayoral Challenge. It is now Taverners who could celebrate such a feat, which although unlikely, is not impossible.

Attock captain Khyber Shah won the toss in the 70th final and elected to bat on a flat wicket that had been used the day before by Accrington and Colne in the Lancashire League.

Mohammed Asif and Raza Khan began steadily against the bowling of Paul Fitzpatrick, bowling off a shortened run due to a knee injury, and Jack Wilson. The openers put on 55 before Mark Swift, who bowled a tidy spell of change-of-pace seam bowling, dismissed them both.

This brought the stroke players Abrar Shah and left handed Liquat Khan to the wicket. The runs began to flow quicker until Shah was caught by West Indian Dev Ramsingh off former Attock man Shabir Faizal for 40 with the total on 131. Waqar Ahmed then joined Liquat and the pair took the score of 171-3 at the end of the allotted 36 overs.

Liquat completed his third half century at Thorneyholme Road, having hit 56 in the Mayoral competition on Friday, and 71 against Accrington A last season. Taverners secretary Bill Swift later said that he felt Attock were 10 runs short of a winning score on the vast playing area. Taverners got just the start they wanted. A wild first over by left arm seamer Shakeel Khan brought nine runs in wides and byes. A change of angle to around the wicket brought a vast improvement as Shakeel and Mohammed Ismail began to tie down openers John Fowler and John Finn. Fowler was caught behind by the versatile Abrar Shah in the 11th over for two. Man in form Mark Swift quickly followed, bowled by Ismail without scoring.

Shakeel accounted for Colin Fitzpatrick to have Taverners struggling at 46-3.

Dev Ramsingh joined former Old Accringtonian John Finn to take the score up to 93 when Finn was most unluckily run out after hitting a straight drive on to the stumps at the bowlers end. With the bails off and both batsmen stranded, quick thinking by bowler Abrar Shah to pull a stump out brought Finn's innings of 41 to a close.

Akhtar Hussain was next to go, run out on the second run by some distance. Enter Paul Fitzpatrick with 65 runs still needed and five wickets in hand. The run out jinx struck again as next Ramsingh went for a vital 40.

Amazingly, Andy Butterworth became the fourth run out of the innings and when wicketkeeper Ian Broadhurst soon followed, Taverners were 121-8. Jack Wilson marched out to join his captain as Taverners required 50 to win with only two wickets remaining.

Hope was renewed for Taverners in the 32nd over when Fitzpatrick hit Khyber Shah into Highams for six, and when Liquat, who was restricted to only four overs due to a knee injury, returned to have Wilson stumped for nine, the pair had put on 38 priceless runs.

Going into the final over, Taverners had reduced the target to nine, but everything rested on Fitz and last man Shabir Faizal.

Medium pacer Abrar Shah bowled the last over, with Fitzpatrick on strike. A huge top edge took the first ball over the boundary for six by the roller shed. The next two balls went for singles, then a straight drive for four sparked huge celebrations from Taverners supporters.

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