UMPIRES Ken Moore and Nigel Hargreaves had an easy choice in naming Jack Harrison as man of the match as Denholme put their name on the Mewies Solicitors Craven League’s Cowling Cup for the first time.

Denholme skipper Adi Shires won the toss and asked Bingley Congs to bat on an Ingrow ground that looked a picture.

Previous rounds had been Twenty20 but the final reverted to 40 overs per side, and Congs lost two early wickets before being revived by Tony Teale (23) and Tim Burnley (31), who took the score to 64 when Teale fell.

Burnley and Steve Carass (12) then added 25 but three wickets fell at 89 and it was backs-to-the-wall time.

Opening bowler Harrison was then brought back into the attack and cleaned up the tail to see the innings close on 116, Harrison finishing with 5-18 off 9.1 overs and Tim Shires 2-34 off his ten overs of canny spin.

Harrison and Michael Dennison got the Denholme innings off to a solid start, putting on 64, when both perished, the latter for 34 and the former for 24.

Steady batting got the score to 100, where Adi Shires went for 14. Joe Greenwood (25) and Richard Sheard (1) both fell at 105 but Chris Dennison clattered three fours to take his side to the trophy by five wickets.

With hindsight, perhaps Jimmy Dennison (3-26) should have been brought into the attack sooner as they needed to put the squeeze early on Denholme.

League fixture secretary Trevor Coe thanked Ingrow, young groundsman Ben Weatherall and sponsors JMS Ltd.

League secretary Ann Coe then presented the trophies and the medallions to both sides.