Burnley hoping to call on cup pedigree

The Turf Moor club won four Worsley Cup Finals in a row between 2013-16, before Darwen put a new name on the trophy last year.

The league table would suggest Lowerhouse start favourites, still very much in the title race, while Burnley have slipped to eighth, but Pickup feels it will be a tight game: “It could go right down to the wire. Both sides are pretty strong – they can bat down to 11, and have bowling options, so it will be close.

“Our league form hasn’t been brilliant over the last few weeks, but cup cricket is completely different.

“It’s a format we’re pretty strong in, and we’re always confident in the Worsley Cup, with our recent history.”

It is the first all-Burnley final in Lancashire League history.

And Burnley, having been beaten in the Lancashire Knockout semi-final by Lowerhouse last year, would like nothing better than to win in their old rivals’ back yard: “We’ve been looking forward to this since we won our semi-finals.

“It should be a great day, and hopefully we can get the right result.

“It will be a brilliant occasion to be a part of – a special occasion for the town.

“This will be the second big derby game in two seasons – the derbies are always big, but to have something riding on it, other than local pride, with a trophy at stake on this occasion, is massive.

“We would like a bit of revenge for last season in the LCB semi-final, but these are one-off games and impossible to predict.”

Burnley are at home to Ramsbottom in the league tomorrow, and Pickup said: “We’re at full strength for the final.”