Lancashire League Handbook 2021

128 HISTORY OF THE WORSLEY CUP From 1892 until 1916, the League only organised League games. When League Cricket was suspended in 1917, Accrington, Church, East Lancs and Enfield decided to organise a War-time League competition, each team playing the others four times. The trophy to be awarded was the Hacking Cup and the winners were Accrington. The four Clubs were joined by the four Rossendale Clubs in a knock-out competition for the Maden Cup. The winners of this were Ramsbottom. In 1918, Rishton joined the eight from the previous season in a League competition known as the Lancashire Combination. It was decided to award the Hacking Cup to the Highest placed Accrington District side and a new trophy, the WORSLEY CUP to the highest placed Rossendale Club. Burnley, Colne, Lowerhouse and Nelson joined in the Maden Cup K-O competition. In 1918, Enfield(1st) won the Hacking Cup and also the Maden Cup, and Haslingden(2nd) were awarded the Worsley Cup. When League Cricket resumed in 1919, this League Committee decided at a meeting on December 5th, 1918, that the two highest placed Clubs in the Accrington District should play for the Hacking Cup, the two leading Rossendale Clubs were to contest the Maden Cup and the Worsley Cup would be contested by the two leading Burnley District sides. Thus, East Lancs(1st) met Accrington(3rd), Haslingden(4th) played Rawtenstall(6th) and the WORSLEY CUP was between Nelson(2nd) and Colne(5th). The winners were:- Accrington, Rawtenstall and Colne. At the end of that season, it was agreed that for the 1920 season a proper KO competition should be organised and Alderman Worsley agreed that his trophy might be used for this competition. For many years, it was run on a timeless basis on successive evenings and the sectional organisation was used to avoid excessive travel. Innings “suspensions” were used to avoid excessively long matches. Today, the competition is played over 50 overs on a weekend date with evening play only necessary if weather interrupts progress of the competition. The Worsley Cup itself was vaulted in 1980 when the K-O competition was sponsored by Martini and Rossi and then by the Lancashire Evening Telegraph, both of whom offered their own trophies. The Cup was played for again from 1987 (under the sponsorships of Associated Leisure Hotels Ltd. and 4-Sports U.K. Ltd). In 1991 and 1992, it came under the sponsorship of Matthew Brown plc. The League obtained a sponsorship deal with Jennings Brothers of Cockermouth from 1993 until 1998. There was no sponsor in 1999 but in 2000 E.W. Cartons gave its backing to the competition. In 2004 Switch to Switch Electrical became the new sponsors. In 2006 Get Solutions became the new sponsors and continued until 2008. The competition sponsorship was adopted by Thwaites in 2009 in an initial 3 year deal and became known as the Thwaites Original Worsley Cup.