Sovereign Health Care Priestley Cup final facts

Sovereign Health Care Priestley Cup facts

Posted August 24, 2006

Both Bowling Old Lane and Woodlands have reached the final playing all of their matches at homes. Old Lane defeated Farsley, Idle, Spen Victoria and Hanging Heaton while Woodlands beat Esholt, Saltaire East Bierley and Pudsey Congs.

Both teams will wear coloured clothing and the match will be played with a white ball with black sightscreens. Woodlands will play in maroon and yellow while Old Lane will sport royal blue and yellow.

Woodlands are the only club ever to suffer three successive final defeats v Bradford & Bingley (2003) and Pudsey Congs in 2004 and 2005, but Bowling Old Lane suffered nine final defeats between 1923 and 1965 including a spell of five losses in seven years between 1928 and 1934.

Murphy Walwyn will extend his record for the most final appearances by an individual player to 12 when he lines up for Woodlands. Nine of his 11 finals to date were with East Bierley. The other two were with Woodlands in 2003 and 2004. In contrast not one player in the Bowling Old Lane side has ever played in a final.

Brian Clough, the man who captained Bowling Old Lane to their last Priestley Cup final win in 1968, is their current club president. They defeated Saltaire by 18 runs to end their run of nine final defeats which followed their 1922 final win which was also against Saltaire. On that occasion the margin was 23 runs.

Woodlands skipper Tim Orrell is one of only 11 players to have made a century in a Priestley Cup final. He made 101not out in his side's defeat by Bradford & bingley in 2003.

Glyn Pearson is umpiring his second Priestley Cup final and he will meet up with a player who was in action when he officiated at the 1995 final. Woodlands opener Russell Murray was in the Pudsey Congs side that defeated Yeadon on that occasion at Wagon Lane.

Bowling Old Lane are the first club since East Bierley in 1999 to get both their teams into the Priestley Cup and Priestley Shield finals in the same season. In 1999 East Bierley lost the Shield final to Pudsey St Lawrence but defeated Yeadon to lift the cup. Having already lost this season's Shield final to East Bierley, Bowling Old Lane will be hoping there is a lucky omen lurking there for them.