The Coal Clough team which drew with St Francis to win the Ribble Valley League.
Coal Clough Amateurs are the champions of the Ribble Valley Cricket League for the second successive year. They clinched the title at the weekend with a convincing batting performance against St Francis, the only team who could have caught them. The match at Towneley, resulted in a draw, but it was enough to give Coal Clough the championship.

St Francis from Blackburn, needed to beat their Burnley rivals and then win their final match to overhaul Coal Clough. But there was little chance of them achieving the vital victory once Coal Clough had batted on Saturday, 31st August 1974. Put in to bat by the visitors' skipper, Coal Clough needed a big score - and that's just what they got. Led by a determined 67 from opener Barry Allen, Coal Clough reached a total of 195, which gave St Francis little time in which to get the runs. There were good supporting innings from Ruel Reeve (24), George Wilson (22) and Jack Sagar (19). The game ended tamely as St Francis reached 46 for three, with no chance of getting near the Coal Clough total.

Now Coal Clough, who have won the championship three times since they entered the league in 1967, go for the double. They meet St Francis later this month in the final of the League Cup.