Waddilove Cup final: Which Bilton will turn up against Burley?

A first cup success in ten years is up for grabs for the Harrogate club when they take on 2013 winners Burley.

But the question on all the home players’ lips is which Bilton will turn up?

The Aire-Wharfe Division One outfit have had a topsy-turvy campaign, which came to fruition again on Saturday in a rain-affected defeat to neighbours Follifoot. Opening batsmen Ryan Bradshaw said the Bilton Laners would approach the cup final with confidence and caution in the same breath.

Bradshaw said: “We are both quite inconsistent which I think can make it a really good final. It’s quite intriguing with how this one might go.”

Bilton hammered Burley when the two teams met in the league earlier in the season. Vic Craven’s men also downed league leaders Otley to reach the final last month.

However, seven defeats out of 16 matches have ruined any hopes of a league title for the fourth placed side.

Bradshaw said: “We can’t really put our finger on why we’ve been so inconsistent. We have either been superb, or we struggle.”

Brothers Nick and Richard Brook are predominantly the dangermen for Burley, andthe pair have experience of the big stage having dismantled Beckwithshaw during the 2013 final.

Bilton will hope captain Craven can reproduce his fine form with the ball, while semi-final hero Odge Davey is available again despite his move down to London. Bradshaw also predicted Mustahsan Ali Shah’s leg breaks to have a big say when the ball goes soft.

“We scraped to 220 in the semi-final and we’re capable of that again on what is sure to be a great deck,” added the opener.

“We have a lot of shot makers lower in the order, we just have to gets them to a point in the innings to go after the bowlers.”