WHEN it comes to local league cricket, you won't find two more dedicated teams.

For between them, Hussainia and Taverners play in no fewer than six different leagues.

And both sides have enjoyed their fair share of success with Hussainia dominating the Burnley and District and Pendle and District leagues while Taverners have enjoyed similar success in the two Accrington leagues.

Both sides play with contrasting styles but both have that winning formula.

While Hussainia play a more serious game, Taverners method of a smile on the face, a beer in the hand and plenty of heckling has won them just as many trophies.

And it was Taverners who were left toasting their success as they clinched the league and cup double in their first season in the North East Lancashire League.

Having already beaten Hussainia in the league, the Burnley side were all out for revenge and they started like they meant business.

After losing Khuram Shazad for a duck, Abid Khan and Gulfam Hussain settled in and were on their way to a big partnership.

But, when that was broken up, they still appeared to be on course for a big total.

Howeve,r what followed was a dramatic collapse that England would find hard to match.

For they were in relatively little trouble on 77-3, but then found themselves bowled all out for 91 - after losing the last six wickets for 10 runs with 14 overs still to play. Hussainia can consider themselves unlucky because they faced Taverners on a day when their hot and cold bowler Azad Khan was on fire.

Khan took 5-25 in a blistering eight over spell that ruined Hussainia's bid for silverware.

And with the Swift brothers, David and Mark, and Paul Fitzpatrick cleaning up, Hussainia must have hoped Taverners suffered a similar batting collapse.

But it didn't materialise.

Akhtar 'Beefy Botham' Hussain and Mark Maden started picking away at the Hussainia total before Maden went for one hard slog too many and was caught close to the boundary.

Taverners' only downfall now was to be of their own doing and Hussainia did cause a few doubts when he went for a run that wasn't there and Chris Kennedy was run out.

But Mark Swift managed to steady the ship with a quickfire 17 which included a towering six.

Taverners showed their strength in depth after Swift and Hussain eventually went for 16, as Fitzpatrick hit what turned out to be a match-winning 20 runs - included the three runs that took them past Hussainia's total.

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