GREAT Harwood and Rishton are planning a double celebration party.

Well, that's the hope of Great Harwood's injured skipper Geoff Allen after last weekend's brilliant nine wicket victory over Settle.

The Cliffe Park stalwart will be forced to sit out of the rest of the season with an injured knee as Harwood bid for their first title for 96 years!

Tomorrow they lock horns with Cherry Tree at Cliffe Park before next weekend's potential title decider at Earby.

"If Great Harwood can win the Ribblesdale League and Rishton clinch the Lancashire League I think there will be a public holiday in Harwood!" predicted Allen. "It would be a great achievement for cricket locally and, most of all, we would break that championship hoodoo.

"Ninety-six years is a long time not to have won the league. But we are quietly confident this could be our year."

He added: "Cherry Tree will provide a tough test for us. They are a much better side than their league position suggests.

"They will make it hard for us but it's up to the lads to go out there and do the business."

Harwood were narrowly pipped for the championship crown by Padiham last season and just lost out in 1994. They should prove too strong for Cherry Tree, though, who will be without skipper Gary Bolton and opener Michael Veevers. "We are just hoping it will be our season this time," he added. "In 1995 we played one bad game and paid the price.

"But the whole side has played some very good all-round cricket with our professional, Chris Killen, having a great smashing second part to the season.

"He has kept his bowling tight and rarely does he go for more than two an over."

Harwood will have one eye on events at Back Lane where Baxenden take on Earby. The leaders picked up five points last weekend with victory over Padiham. But don't forget Read in third place.

The Whalley Road men, who entertain Ribblesdale Wanderers, start the day in striking distance of the pace setters.

Fixtures: Baxenden v Earby, Edenfield v Blackburn N, Clitheroe v Whalley, Great Harwood v Cherry Tree, Padiham v Oswaldtwistle Immanuel, Read v Ribblesdale Wanderers, Settle v Barnoldswick. Stumps: 1.30 pm.

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