CHRIS Sanderson hopes tomorrow's Cross Cup final will not be the last time the famous old trophy will ever be played for.

The Blackrod captain leads his side into the showdown with Flixton at Little Hulton knowing that every player understands the importance of the occasion.

The Cross Cup holds the distinction of being the oldest cricket cup competition in the world that is currently being competed for.

But its future is in doubt with the Bolton Association going out of existence at the end of this season.

No agreement has yet been made between the management committees of the Association and the Bolton League – where nine Association clubs will be moving to – over its future use.

It is understood the Bolton League have considered staging the Cross Cup next season as well as their Hamer Cup – although it is unlikely they would be able to find enough free days to do so, especially if they continue with intentions to also have a Twenty20 competition next season.

Another consideration has been to use it as the prize for the Twenty20 competition, something some members of the Bolton Association committee are known to be dead set against.

It all means tomorrow's game could feasibly be the last time it is ever played for.

And Sanderson says the history is not lost on his side.

"We are very aware of the prestige of the occasion," he said.

"When you speak to the younger guys you can see it means a lot to them as well as the more experienced players.

"To be able to play in the last Cross Cup final, if that is what it is going to be, is something very special and we are aware of that element to it and that there is a little more on Sunday's game because of it.

"I hope the Bolton League and Bolton Association powers-that-be can come to some amicable agreement, and I would encourage them to do so.

"I would love to see the Cross Cup continue to be played for, but it would need to be played for in the right way.

"I don't think putting the name of the Cross Cup to Twenty20 is the right way to go, but if it was between that and not playing for it at all... I don't know.

"I would like to think that the people at the two leagues can come to some sort of agreement.

"If they don't then it will be a privilege to play in the last ever one."

Blackrod, mid-table in the Bolton Association, will be underdogs against the third-placed reigning champions.

But that is nothing new to the Vicarage Road men who have had a difficult run to their third final in six years.

They were one of the sides who had to get through a preliminary round – as were Flixton – when they beat Worsley.

They followed up with a victory over an Astley and Tyldesley side who were knocking on the door of a top-six league place until recently.

Then Blackrod knocked out the surprise side of the season in Lostock – who have secured a place in the top six with a game to go – before beating one of the league's leading sides in Bury in the semi-final.

Blackrod will be going for their third Cross Cup success on Sunday having won it in 1986 – the year after they entered the Association – and again in 2011.

Coincidentally, they beat Flixton on the latter occasion and Sanderson says the unpredictable form of both finalists means it is difficult to forecast how tomorrow's game will pan out.

"Our form has been erratic of late but so has Flixton's," he said. "It might be a low-scoring thriller, who knows? Those kind of things do happen sometimes.

"We've a couple of players missing in Joey Pryle and Stephen Ashworth but we've got the rest of our core of eight or nine players and I pretty much know what our team is going to be, though I'm keeping it close to my chest.

"In a one-off game anything can happen and the match-winners can be the most unlikely of people. But win, lose or draw it will just be a great privilege to be a part of it."