LANCASHIRE retained the Daily Telegraph Northern Counties League crown after
a thrilling finale to the campaign, writes DAVID BIRTILL.
They overwhelmed early season pace setters Cumbria 12-6 at wind-swept
Furness to deny Yorkshire by the narrowest of margins.
Red Rose captain Paul Williams said: "The links certainly cut its teeth but
many of our players are adept in those conditions and driven by the thought
of the challenge to the line only encouraged them more.
"It was a tense finish as we had the Yorkshire information available through
various texts.
"With our game over there was still one Northumberland and Yorkshire game at
Newbiggin with two holes left and all square and we needed the score to stay
like that.
"It's amazing how the whole year shakes down to the finest of margins.
Eventually the news that Northumberland had secured the half that meant we
had kept the title."