Accrington captain Tom Walmsley won the toss and elected to bat on a perfect looking wicket. Bill Finney and Bert Walker put on 88 before both departed in quick succession.
Wickets tumbled regularly until Bailey and Harold Parmley steadied the ship to take the score to 130-6 when the innings was suspended.
When Rawtenstall batted, Jim Bailey, bowling medium pace, and Dick Whittaker were the opening attack. The home side lost Reg Hitch at 15 to Bailey and when Whittaker claimed professional Archie Slater and George Hargreaves both lbw, Rawtenstall were 61-3. Parmley dismissed Howarth and when Bailey returned to bowl his spinners, he soon bowled Taylor to have Rawtenstall 84-5.
Play continued until 7.30 when Rawtenstall closed with 7 wickets down, having passed 100. On Wednesday they carried the score up to 130 without further loss when the innings was suspended.
When Accrington resumed their innings they soon lost Parmley to be 132-7 with much resting on Jim Bailey. Young Ronnie Fitton joined him and together they put on 34 much needed runs until both fell within 6 runs of each other to leave the last pair at the crease.
Whittaker and Bill Hartley ground out 26 vital runs until Slater dismissed Hartley to leave Rawtenstall requiring 69 to win with 3 wickets remaining. Whitehead and Norman Coupe edged along cautiously until Ronnie Laughlin was recalled to the attack.
Laughlin, who had claimed Cowell's wicket the previous evening, mopped up the tail to register figures 4-8 in 5.5 overs as Rawtenstall were all out for 160. Accrington had won their first trophy since 1916 much to the delight of their vociferous supporters.
Round 1 Sunday 30th May 1965
Accrington 71, Rawtenstall 125
Rawtenstall had a 54 run win at Accrington. The home sides professional Ken Grieves was not required to bowl as Rawtenstall were dismissed for 125. Alan Worsick took 4-45, Derek Mark 3-32 and Derek Rushton 2-35 with Eric Howarth hitting 32 not out and Brian Manning 25. David Lloyd fought a lone battle against the pace of professional Lester King (4-19) and Rod Taylor (3-40) and the off spin of Maurice Davies (3-4), scoring 29 of his sides 71 all out.
Round 2 Sunday 16th June 1968
Accrington 159, Rawtenstall 160-9
There was another nailbiting match at Thorneyholme Road which saw Rawtenstall avenge defeat the previous day to come away with a 1 wicket win over Accrington. Visiting professional John Grant took 5-65 as Accrington were bowled out for 159 with 1 ball remaining of their 36 overs in front of a crowd of just under 2,000. Derek Rushton made 36, Russ Cuddihy 32, Alan Richardson 23, Geoff Hayhurst 18 and Lindon Dewhurst 17 for the home side. Accrington professional Graeme Corling clean bowled Geoff Heaton for 8 after the opener had been reprieved when Hayhurst missed him. Stand-in wicketkeeper Rushton then took a superb diving catch to remove Harold Lister off the bowling of Geoff Woodcock but then Keith French (41) and Brian Chapman (34) put Rawtenstall back in the match with a 3rd wicket stand which was broken when Alan Worsick pulled off a superb catch off his own bowling to remove Chapman. Worsick then removed Graham Lord without scoring but Grant and French again turned the match the visitors way. The Australian survived a high catch to Dewhurst at mid on with the total on 104, but 4 runs later French fell to Corling. Brian Manning joined Grant to take the score up to 146 when both men were out. Grant was run out for 38 and Manning was caught by Richardson for 14. Maurice Davies became Woodcock's third victim for 6 which left Rawtenstall needing just 1 to win off the last over with 1 wicket standing. Corling's first ball was hit for a match winning single by John Seal to send Rawtenstall into the semi finals.
Round 1 Sunday 7th May, 4th, June 1972
Rawtenstall 146-8, Accrington 142
Rawtenstall had a 4 run win against Accrington with professional Dave Orchard (5-74) and George Croisdale (5-45) taking 5 wickets each to dismiss Accrington for 142. Malcolm Taylor made 25 and Ian Birtwistle 21 for Accrington with Duncan Ramsbottom hitting an unbeaten 59 and Alan Holt 30 in Rawtenstall's 146-8.
Worsley Cup Final
Sunday 8th August 1976
Rawtenstall 137, Accrington 120
A crowd of around 5,000 paid record gate receipts of £1451 to see Rawtenstall take on Accrington at Bacup Road. By the start of the match it was standing room only as all seats had been taken.
Accrington won the toss and asked Rawtenstall to bat. The home side lost Terry Holt lbw to Alan Worsick for 7 with the score at 19. Skipper Keith French (31) and Peter Wood (34) put 54 for the 2nd wicket when French was bowled by Accrington skipper Ian Birtwistle. Rawtenstall's dangerous Indian professional Abid Ali came in and raced to 37 as the home side looked set for a big total on 109-2. Wood was run out and then Ali hit Tony Gallagher into Bacup Road for six but when he tried to hoist the same bowler over long on, Worsick took an amazing running catch on the boundary much to the delight of the Accrington supporters who were stationed next to the boundary. The Accrington supporters carried many banners, one of which announced that 'Worsick strikes faster than British Leyland!'
This marked a change in the game with Worsick returning to bowl in tandem with Gallagher. Worsick bowled Brian Chapman for 4 and Gallagher accounted for Graham Lord in the same manner also for 4 to leave Rawtenstall 124-6. Two runs later, Worsick clean bowled both Brian Payne (1) and Brian Manning (1), who followed after two more runs had been added. Big hitting George Croisdale was clean bowled by Gallagher for 3 and Graham Cook was run out for 6 as Rawtenstall were dismissed for 137. Worsick took 4-45 and Gallagher 3-30.
Accrington's reply began well with Peter West hitting 38 before young spinner Chris Flood had him caught by Croisdale with the score on 79. John Swanney was next to go, caught by Abid Ali for 11 with the score on 94. The Indian professional then picked up the wicket of Malcolm Taylor (1) and Flood dismissed opener Geoff Hayhurst, the rock of the innings, caught by Abid Ali for 32 made in 109 balls. Ali then trapped Alan Richardson (4) leg before as 94-1 became 99-5.
The match still favoured the visitors, but then Flood captured the vital wicket of Worsick off his first ball. The Accrington professional prodded forward, but the ball hit his boot and looped up on to his glove, spooning a return catch to Flood as 94-1 suddenly became 99-6.
Accrington now needed 36 off the final six overs with 4 wickets remaining. Alan Kennedy and skipper Ian Birtwistle put on 20, but Kennedy was run out for 7 by a direct hit by Graham Lord from cover and then Gallagher was caught and bowled by Flood without scoring. Dave Parsons hit a single off the third ball he faced, then Birtwistle was stumped by Manning for 11. Two balls later Terry Neville was bowled by Flood without scoring and Accrington's last four wickets had fallen for the addition of just 1 run to give Rawtenstall their first ever Worsley Cup success in their fifth final. Chris Flood finished with the remarkable figures of 7-40 in 10 overs to earn a Lancashire League record collection of £170.88. At total of £750 was taken behind the bar with 2,280 cans of beer and 400 soft drinks sold.