Shepley lifted the Solly Sports Heavy Woollen Cup for the first time as they defeated Gomersal by 45 runs in a magnificent final at Spen Victoria.

They also became the first Drakes Huddersfield League side since Kirkheaton in 1985 to lift the famous trophy.

They triumphed in a match which produced 627 runs and provided the big crowd with some gripping action.

Shepley's success was set up by an excellent batting performance spearheaded by opener Tom Denton who made a superb 148 and was deserving man of the match.

Denton and his opening partner SP Singh set the tone for Shepley's performance by taking advantage of a perfect pitch, a fast outfield and some indifferent Gomersal bowling after being put in to bat.

Denton's driving was particularly impressive as the boundaries flowed from his bat. Denton and Singh put on 73 for the first wicket before off spinner Adam Greenwood claimed the wicket of Singh for 16.

That brought in Tim Rees and the tempo of the innings stepped up a couple of gears. Denton reached his 50 off 45 balls with two sixes and seven fours. Rees, who was also quick to punish anything over-pitched or off line, followed suit by making his half century off 55 deliveries were eight fours.

Gomersal were becoming increasingly ragged under the onslaught and didn't help their cause by sending down 22 wides.

Denton received rich acclaim as he completed his century from just 98 balls. His near-faultless innings contained two sixes and 16 fours.

Although much of the focus was on Denton, Rees was also pressing the accelerator and that was underlined when he reached his century in nine balls fewer than Denton having hit three sixes and 12 fours.

Their second-wicket partnership was worth 224 runs in 30,3 overs when Rees departed to a catch by Mohammad Zeb off the bowling Shahzaib Khan.

Denton's innings came to an end seven runs later when he was trapped lbw by the persevering Khan. The reception he received from the crowd was fitting for such a magnificent innings

Khan also picked up the wickets of Liam Wiles and Amar Rashid before the innings closed at 336-5.

Khan finished with 4-75 on an afternoon when the Gomersal bowling figures made miserable reading.

Faced by such a big total Gomersal needed a sound foundation and openers Adam Greenwood and Andy Gorrod.

Left-hander Greenwood was soon striking the ball sweetly as he and Gorrod shared an opening stand of 98.

Greenwood had just completed a pleasing 50 off 52 balls when he tried to pull a ball from spinner SP Singh and was caught on the midwicket boundary by Shepley skipper Danny Glover,

Greenwood had hit two sixes and seven fours and the scoring rate dipped after he departed.

Shabbir Rashid had only made five when he was trapped lbw by former Manningham Mills and Hanging Heaton spinner Amar Rashid.

The patient Gorrod brought up his half-century off 86 balls with a six and six fours during a third-wicket stand of 39 with Danny Lloyd who just looked to be picking up the tempo when he was run out for 22.

With 191 needed from 19.4 overs, injured skipper Richard Whitehurst entered the fray. Despite being barely able to run because of an ankle injury, Whitehurst was soon inflicting pain on the bowlers.

The loss of Gorrod for 61 at 173 was a body blow as Gomersal were looking to him to anchor the innings.

But Whitehurst was in no mood to surrender as he was joined by semi-final match winner Greg Pickles.

For the first time in the afternoon doubt crept into the Shepley play as Whitehurst started depositing sixes into the crowd.

He raced to 50 off just 27 balls after striking three sixes and six fours, Pickles also hit three sixes as his fifth-wicket partnership yielded 79 runs before he was caught by Danny Glover off Rashid.

Whitehurst continued to thrill the crowd with his big hitting. The prospect of a Gomersal victory was growing by the minute.

Skipper Danny Glover's decision to recall SP Singh to the attack was decisive. His first over was a wicket maiden as he bamboozled then bowled Ben Platt for a duck.

Shahzaib Khan was caught by Rees off Danny Glover before Singh ended Whitehurst's belligerent innings of 83. The Gomersal skipper tried another big hit but was caught on the long on boundary by Denton.

There was delight and a tinge of relief in the celebrations of the Shepley players before they joined the crowd in acclaiming Whitehurst's explosive innings which lasted just 38 balls and contained seven sixes and six fours.

Sixteen-year-old Jack Seddon blasted one big straight six before lofting a simple catch to Singh off Glover, before the Shepley captain fittingly wrapped up his side's victory by bowling Mohammad Zeb to claim his fourth wicket.

SP Singh (3-26) and Danny Glover (4-52) were the pick of the Shepley bowlers on an afternoon when the game of cricket was also a real winner.

Victorious Shepley celebrate their success Picture: Mike Baker ©JCT600 Bradford League