VEKA Ribblesdale League officials are toasting a successful season in the aftermath of one of the tightest title races in the league's history.

Read took the honours and became the first club since the Second World War to clinch a hat-trick of championship triumphs when they pipped Settle in a last-day decider on Sunday.

And league secretary Rod Slater believes the summer could not have had a more fitting finale.

"I think the league is in very good health, and whoever planned the fixtures couldn't have done a better job," he said.

"It was the perfect end to the season with the top-two playing each with the title at stake and plenty of people attending in glorious weather.

"You always want the interest in the season to go to the last day. You don't want somebody to have won the league with half-a-dozen games to go.

"The winning club might like that but for the league's sake, the longer the championship race goes on the better."

Slater added: "It looked for a while as though Read might runaway with it, but then they had a few injuries to key players at the same time and Settle did tremendously well to keep the interest there.

"Over the past couple of seasons they have certainly become a force to be reckoned with."

Despite the domination of Read and Settle, who also won the Castlemaine XXXX Ramsbottom Cup, Slater believes there is strength and depth in the league.

"I think the standard is good and I think there have been some good cricketers in the league this year," he said.

"Oliver Newby is a good example of that. He is down at Old Trafford but is also still playing with Read which shows that the cricket must be well thought of.

"I think the amateurs in the league are as strong as most leagues round here, which is shown by our record in the inter-league competition, even though we had a bad day this year against the Bolton League.

"I think we can compete pretty favourably with other leagues, and long may that continue.

"Obviously one or two clubs are going through a bit of a bad patch. Whalley are struggling at the moment, but every club goes through that.

"Hopefully they can get one or two new players in and their time can come again."

Wooden spoon'winners' Whalley and Edenfield will have to seek re-election to the league but should retain their places in the senior league.

And Slater is also hopeful that sponsors Veka and Castlemaine XXXX will be on board again next summer.

"I'm optimistic, but nothing has been settled yet," added the secretary.

"Discussions will take place. They are both good sponsorships and hopefully they will be extended."

While the senior league honours have been decided, not everyone has finished for the season.

Great Harwood and Blackburn Northern are still chasing glory in the Thwaites Brewery Twenty20 Cup.

And the league's under-18 side will take on the Central Lancashire League in the final of the MEN inter-league cup at Great Harwood on Saturday, September 18 - further proof that the Ribblesdale League is alive and kicking.