DARWEN cricket club will be praying for good weather when they bid for their first cup success for a decade at home to Leyland on Sunday.

Their opponents, who are bottom of the Northern Premier League, have thrived on wash-outs this season and have reached the final with a bizarre record of winning only one regulation game.

"They have had two bowl-outs and one toss of a coin," said Darwen chairman Peter Lamster.

"It must be some sort of a record so we hope it doesn't rain because they are the form side when it comes to bowl-outs!"

But if the weather does stay fine at Birch Hall, the home side will be favourites to secure a knock-out trophy for the first time since they won the Vaux Bitter Cup in 1994.

"We've had league success but the cups have eluded us for 10 years," added Lamster.

"So it would be good to get some silverware on our own ground and we hope everyone from Darwen can come and support us in our biggest match of the season.

"I'm delighted for the team, they have come through the competition undefeated and last week's semi-final win reflected a full team effort with every player contributing."

As well as luck, Leyland also have history on their side after beating Darwen in the final of the Nuffield Hospital Cup in 2001, the same year Netherfield also inflicted defeat on them in the Slater Cup final.

One trophy that will elude Darwen this year, however, is the league championship, which they were trying to secure for the third successive season.

Lamster said: "We can't win the league now because everyone won last week so the best we can hope for is runners-up.

"That might go to the last game of the season when we play Fleetwood."

In the Northern Premier, Darwen travel to Morecambe tomorrow, when Andy Cook will replace Chris Clarke.

The same team will be retained on Sunday for the final, which starts at 1pm.