FARNWORTH claim they were the victims of a failure to apply a rule in Sunday's Lancashire Knockout final.

The Bolton League side lost the game when Denton West reached their winning target of 190 runs with just three balls remaining in a gripping match at Middleton Cricket Club.

But Farnworth insist Denton West should have been docked overs under the competition rules.

"It's not sour grapes, they were 17 minutes over with their bowling allocation which would have meant they had five overs less to bat," said Farnworth captain Simon Booth.

"We were winning that game all the way up until right at the end so to lose is disappointing."

Booth said he raised the issue with an official from the Lancashire County Board during the interval and then again with the umpires before the second innings began.

The rule, written in the LCB Knockout Cup conditions available on the LCB website, crucially states it applies "unless otherwise determined by the umpires".

The full rule states: "All sides are expected to be in position to bowl the first ball of the last over of their 45 overs within two hours 50 minutes playing time.

"If the team fielding first fails to bowl the required number of overs by the scheduled time for the close of the first innings, play shall continue until the required number of overs has been bowled.

"Unless otherwise determined by the umpires, the team batting second shall only have available to it the number of overs bowled by the scheduled stoppage time of the first innings.

"The over in progress at the scheduled close time shall count as a completed over."

The LCB have no issues with what happened, managing director Bobby Denning saying: “The LCB is totally satisfied with decisions made on the day.”

On the game, Booth said: "It's disappointing to lose obviously but fair play to the Denton boys, they did really well.

"I'm proud of my players, it was a brilliant game and the atmosphere, crowd and occasion were fantastic.

"Middleton put on a fantastic show and to the neutral it was probably the best game of cricket you will ever see.

"We were winning until the last seven overs but I'm very proud of the lads and what we have achieved."

Ian McLellan and pro Dinuka Hettiarachchi, who was flown back from Sri Lanka for the weekend's two games, settled Farnworth with 27 apiece after a poor start, and Imran Mirza scored 53 in the middle order.

Hettiarachchi then took three wickets as the pendulum swung either way in a neck-and-neck final which was decided by calm, quality work with the bat, mainly by John Barnett who finished on 62 not out to see Denton West over the line.