BURNLEY skipper Dan Pickup admitted the T20 finals day champagne tasted a little bit sweeter given the club’s Worsley Cup final defeat earlier this summer.

The Turf Moor men overcame hosts Ramsbottom in the semi-final on Bank Holiday Monday before downing holders Clitheroe in the showpiece to ensure they will end the season with some silverware.

And Pickup, who captains the Lancashire League side while Chris Burton skippers the T20 XI, said of the success: “I think winning the competition is a good achievement in itself but it was a little bit sweeter having lost the Worsley Cup final. It has turned an average season into a good one and it is always good to win a trophy.”

Not even a late change in sub professional could derail Burnley who also claimed T20 honours in 2009 and 2015.

The Turf Moor outfit were due to have Lancashire’s Steven Croft in the XI but he was replaced by Northants’ Luke Procter at the last minute.

Pickup said: “We were due to have Steven Croft in but he had commitments with Lancashire and so the club and the committee did really well to get Luke Procter in and he was superb for us.

“Not just on the field although he did bowl and bat really well, but off the field with his energy. He was just what we needed to be honest.”

Pickup admitted he had confidence in Burnley heading into finals day such was their T20 form this season and in the end his optimism was well placed.

“We have played our best cricket in this competition this season,” he added. “I don’t think we have lost a game and we came through the group as winners.

“I think everyone has enjoyed playing in this format.

“We weren’t sure if we were going to get any cricket on at all given the weather and being second on in the semi-finals means that we were hanging around a lot before we started.

“It felt a bit strange playing 10 over matches which is not a format we are used to.

“But it was obviously great to get the competition on and to win it.”

Burnley earned a five-wicket win over Ramsbottom in the second semi-final after Clitheroe had beaten Darwen in the opening last four tie.

And the Turf Moor men then secured a 23-run success over the defending champions to take home the silverware.

“The semi-final went down to the last ball against Ramsbottom,” said Pickup.

“It was a really good game, with it being 10 overs you are only ever one good over or one bad over from the momentum really changing and that happened a couple of times.

“We started the chase really well and then they got back into it but we managed to get home on the last ball.

“In the final we put a good total on the board and then had a really good power play in the first three overs and restricted them and it left them chasing the game, we ran the pro out as well which helped.”

Pickup and Burnley will now turn their attention to finishing the season with a flourish and securing a place in the top 12 before the league splits in two for the 2019 campaign.

Burnley are currently ninth but are not yet mathematically secure of a top 12 place and Pickup wants to end with two wins.

“We had a bit of a strange mid season where we were looking behind us a little bit but we have recovered in the last couple of weeks and I think it would take a strange set of results to stop us getting in that top half but we want to end with two wins and see how high we can get. “We’ve got Rochdale and East Lancashire left to play and will be looking to win both those games.”

Burnley will have former England international Owais Shah as sub professional for this weekend’s clash, and while Brett Pelser next week. stands in for the final weekend of the season