ATTOCK finally laid their Cup Final jinx to rest by defeating the Griffin's Head by 11 runs in the Hyndburn Mayoral Challenge Preliminary Six-A-Side Final at Accrington Cricket Club on Friday night before an enthusiastic crowd.

Runners-up in three of the last four Accrington and District League Harry Wood Cup Finals, Khyber Shah's men were always in control of the inaugural Mayoral Feeder Cup Final.

After winning the toss, Attock elected to bat in the best light on an enlarged playing area that was much to the dismay of Griffin captain Dave Parsons. Padiham captain Andy McNicholas opened the bowling for the Griffin from the Huncoat End to Abrar Shah who drove the ball for what should have been two, but in their eagerness to run the Attock openers ran one short.

Eight runs, including three wides, came from the first over. The first boundary of the final came in the second over when a straight drive from Shah was chased by the bowler Pervez Ali to the ropes. The Attock openers' rather cautious stand was ended in the fourth over when Pervez bowled Abrar Shah from around the wicket.

Captain Khyber Shah announced his intentions immediately with a boundary as he and Liquat increased the tempo. A high full toss from Safraz Ali was cut to third man by Liquat, falling just short of a six, 13 runs coming from the over. The Maestro appeared in the eighth over, the Griffin captain having saved himself for the slog at the end of the innings. Percy's first four deliveries were dot balls, Liquat hitting a two and a boundary from the last two balls as Attock desperately tried to increase their total.

They were not helped by Liquat's knee problems which made running between the wickets difficult, in many cases extra runs would have been taken had he been fully fit. Khyber Shah's innings ended in the penultimate over with a run out as 10 runs came from McNicholas' second over.

Liquat despatched Parson's second ball of the last over into Highams for six and two balls later he completed his third half century on the ground in as many weeks before finally being run out off the fifth ball. The innings closed on 98-3 which left The Griffin with what many thought was a reachable target despite the fading light.

Left arm quick bowler Mohammed Sajad conceded six runs from his first over to Parsons and Pervez Ali. Eleven runs, including a very wide wide, came from Liquat's first over from the Highams End. Fellow left arm slow bowler Khyber Shah conceded just two runs from the next over as Attock began to turn the screw. The pressure told in the next over as Pervez fell to young Khizer Hayat's first ball for six. This brought McNicholas to the crease and the scoring increased straight away when his first ball went for four wides. A classic Parsons' cover drive soon followed to ease the Griffin's anxious following. The two batsmen never quite caught up with the required run rate and 32 were still needed with two overs remaining.

Again Khyber Shah kept his cool to concede just four runs from his second over leaving the Griffin with the near impossible task of scoring 29 from the final six balls of the tournament. Seventeen runs came from Khizer Hayat's final spell, leaving the Griffin well short of their target, in the end Khyber Shah's miserly spell of bowling being the difference between the sides.

At the presentation ceremony after the match, the Mayor of Hyndburn Councillor Bernard Dawson congratulated the two sides and thanked all the teams who had competed in the first feeder competition. The Mayor also paid tribute to the ground staff, Walter Stubbs, Peter Barratt and Arthur McGilvary for their hard work, the competition organisers and also to the umpires, particularly Brian Rutter and Carl Sudworth who stood in the Final.

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