Captain Josh Gent believes the standard of cricket in this season’s Anthony Axford North West Cricket League is higher than it was last - and he says Little Lever are loving the challenge.

Gent stopped short of saying they are enjoying it more this summer than they did last, when they ran away with the NWCL’s inaugural Premiership title and also won the T20 crown.

But the different challenge of a more competitive campaign has really got the juices flowing.

Gent and Little Lever are preparing for this Sunday’s Hamer Cup final (1pm), at home to Championship leaders Read, a side who have only lost twice in all competitions this season.

They remain on course for another double-winning season given they are on the coat-tails of league leaders Blackrod, who they beat last Saturday. Whereas this time last year, Little Lever all but had the title wrapped up.

“It’s more competitive this year, which was always going to be the case when you have the top 12 teams playing each other twice,” said Gent.

“It’s a tough one to ask us because we won the league quite comfortably last year, and that was great. That’s what you always want to do, and we enjoyed it.

“But I would definitely say that this year, overall, better standard of cricket, being in a battle, it’s really enjoyable and better for the league - 100 percent.

“It’s a completely different challenge.

“No one would have put Blackrod up at the top at the start of the season, but they’ve signed well with their overseas (Antonio Greenidge and pro (Navod Paranavithana).

“That’s brilliant, and it’s what you want.

“There are also some teams who I thought would do well and haven’t done.”

On the challenge of this Sunday’s cup final against Read, Gent continued: “We’re looking forward to it. In a cup game, it sort of levels it up. You can’t disregard a team just because they’re in the division below.

“When you look at Read, they’re top of that division and have brought in the right people they think will get them promoted.

“Having got to the final of the cup as well, it shows that they’re probably going to be competing well in the division that we’re in next year.

“If Read were in this season’s Premiership, they wouldn’t be at the bottom.

“On the way to the final, they will have beaten some good teams. Padiham were one.

“We’re expecting a tough game, but we’re very confident, especially playing at home.

“You can’t get a better chance in a final than playing at home.”

Instead of the final being held at a neutral venue, as it was last year when Padiham beat Settle at Farnworth, a toss of the coin determined which finalist would play host this season. And Little Lever’s Victory Road home proved the chosen one.

“It’s a big day to showcase what we’re doing as a club, regardless of the result,” continued Gent.

“We’ll get a lot of people watching, and we can show people that we’re a good club off the field as well on it.”

Both sides will field substitute professionals in Sunday’s final, with batters Sam Fanning (Little Lever) having returned to Australia and Blayde Capell (Read) to South Africa.

Both teams have got batting all-rounders. Little Lever will field Aussie Mitchell Owen, a Tasmanian state player who is with Norden, while Read have employed Burnley’s South African Ockie Erasmus.

“Mitchell Owen is a mate of Sam’s,” continued Gent. “He’s another Big Bash player with Hobart Hurricanes, and we’re looking forward to having him.”

While Read beat Earby in the semi-final last month, Little Lever saw off Astley Bridge at home by 62 runs. They posted 240 all out and bowled Bridge out for 178.

Little Lever have a number of standout performers across their team, including the likes of left-arm spinner Curtis Anderton and Indian all-round overseas amateur Nipun Gaikwad.

It’s for that reason Gent is confident - but not over-confident - of ending the summer in style with two trophies.

He added: “We’re on course, but we’re still a long way from anything. We’re just taking it game by game.”