Padiham one win away from Ramsbottom Cup final

Kevin Hitchon’s side have the small matter of a Ribblesdale Cricket League derby to deal with this weekend on top of a Ramsbottom Cup semi-final.

They make the short journey to Whalley Road tomorrow to go toe-to-toe with Read, who are looking to plug the gap on league leaders Settle.

While the hosts are 21 points adrift of the table toppers with a game in hand, Padiham are stationed right above the drop zone though have a 31-point safety net.

Meanwhile, on the same day as the World Cup final, Padiham will be going for glory in the final four of the cup at the Arbories.

This term marks a decade since the club last won the competition, for only the second time in their history, and they’ll have to negotiate a route past Ribblesdale Wanderers - their fellow finalists that day - to stand a chance of adding another.