THREE Bolton players have helped Lancashire Women to their first-ever top division trophy.

Megan Fairclough, Shachi Pai and Nalisha Patel played a big part in the county winning the NatWest T20 Division One title.

Egerton’s Fairclough led the team as captain while Pai and Patel were regular members of the side, both making vital contributions at times.

The team clinched the title last weekend which they went into needing to win both games to be certain of picking up the title without having to rely on results elsewhere.

Heavy overnight rain threatened to scupper their chances but the umpires declared the pitch fit for the first game against Surrey to start, albeit just nine overs a side.

Lancashire made 66-6 then restricted Surrey to 45-7 in reply.

News came through of a defeat for nearest rivals Warwickshire which meant the title was secured and the women put the icing on the cake by defeating old rivals Yorkshire by five wickets in their final game of the season.

Their achievement of winning seven games out of eight was all the more remarkable given six were played away from home, and it was a tribute to their team ethic they managed to come through on top.

Fairclough led from the front and finished the campaign as her side’s leading wicket-taker as well as adding a couple of important run outs.

Bury's Kate Cross also starred for the side, finishing the season in style by hitting the winning runs against Yorkshire.

Their focus now turns to the County Championship where they sit joint second with Yorkshire, chasing Warwickshire for the title.

Wins against Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire in their final two games over the August Bank Holiday could yet see them achieve a remarkable double if other results go their way.