BECKWITHSHAW won the Airedale and Wharfedale Cricket League’s Waddilove Cup for the first time in their history when they saw off the challenge of Rawdon on Sunday on the way to staking a claim for a league and cup double.

In the final, played at Collingham and Linton CC, Rawdon, placed third in the league, came tantalisingly close to winning the cup for the first time since 1950, but missed out by 11 runs to league leaders Beckwithshaw.

Veteran campaigner Denis Rock’s nine over spell of 3-26, together with some tight bowling from David Morgan and John Hughes, kept Beckwithshaw’s batting pinned down.

However, one-time Yorkshire hope John Inglis showed his class with a superb innings of 145, which helped his side to a challenging 224-7 in their 45 overs. Inglis was eventually dismissed, caught off the bowling of Andrew Doidge.

Inglis obviously has a liking for the Waddilove Cup having hammered a magnificent 185 against Upper Wharfedale in the quarter-finals.

Rawdon lost their opener Jamie Pickering for a duck in the first over but Les Gaylard (36) and captain Stewart Smith (68) laid a firm foundation.

Smith and overseas star Morgan (68) then set about the bowling with gusto and put their side ahead of the run rate.

But once they were out and the threat of Rock was ended with a catch on the boundary for just seven, the Rawdon tail found it hard to get runs.

James Lilley and Richard Pearson (4-44) chopped down the order to ensure Rawdon fell short and they were finally bowled out for 213, off the last available ball of what had been a fine game.

Beckwithshaw thus write their name into the record books winning the Waddilove Cup for the first time since joining the Airedale and Wharfedale League in 1977.

Captain Ben Quick lifted the coveted trophy as just reward for his side, which has a mix of youth and experience in their side. Beckwithshaw were without their mid-season recruit Stuart Hudson, who was cup-tied after playing for Kirkstall in a previous round.

The side was given an added boost when Festival Republic, who stage the Leeds Festival at Bramham Park, sponsored them for the final.

Quick said: “We were without Stuart, which was a blow but we’ve got Nick Louden, who is bowling superb at the moment, and James Lilley who is a threat.

“We also had experience in the bowling too in Paul Thompson and I had plenty of options with spinners Richard Pearson and myself.

“This final was great for the stalwarts that have been involved with the club for a long time, who have had the heartbreak of missing out on the final before.

“Players like Steve Walmsley, who has been at the club for 20 years, ex-captain Paul Thompson, who has been here for ten or 11 years, and Simon Barker.

“Beckwithshaw I suppose is one of the smaller clubs in the league and an awful lot of work is put in behind the scenes with regards to the second team and the juniors. This final was for them too.”