Eventual winners Netherfield only went to the top of the table for the first time following a remarkable win at Carnforth on 30 August.

Spin bowler Chris Miller was key to their success - his turn demolished the home side and reaped all 10 wickets, only the second time such a feat has been achieved in the history of the league.

Netherfield then remained top of the table after every fixture was washed out on the following Saturday leaving Blackpool, Morecambe, Kendal and Netherfield themselves all able to take the title on the final day.

Further midweek rain left several pitches under feet of water necessitating major pumping and drying out operations to take place in readiness for the final set of fixtures.

The news that Chorley had held on for a draw with eight wickets down brought joyous celebrations that continued not just into the night but for the rest of the weekend as well BBC Radio Cumbria's Garry Woodworth on Netherfield's last-gasp title win

Even so, unforecast rain on the final morning threatened to derail the championship climax and all three games that could decide the title, Morecambe v Netherfield, Blackpool v Chorley and Kendal v Preston, started late after further mopping up.

At Woodhill Lane, Netherfield soon had Morecambe deep in trouble at 74-7 before the home side's Gareth Pedder hit an unbeaten 45.

However, Netherfield's Australian professional Callum Ferguson then took charge, needing 45 to better Terry Hunte's all-time Northern League batting record set back in 1994, he launched into the Morecambe bowling, finally passing the mark with another in a succession of towering sixes.

After Ferguson's departure, Netherfield finally got home by four wickets but the drama wasn't over.

If Chorley were bowled out in the final few overs of the season at Blackpool, the Fylde Coast club would join Netherfield on 209 points but sneak the title having won a greater number of matches.

The news that Chorley had held on for a draw with eight wickets down brought joyous celebrations that continued not just into the night but for the rest of the weekend as well.

Netherfield's title success was all the more remarkable given their early season woes when Scott Clement resigned the captaincy after the heavy defeat to Darwen at the end of April and wicket-keeper Ryan Brown then chose to return to Millom.

At the halfway stage of the competition, following a resounding eight-wicket loss at home to Morecambe, the side, under new skipper Chris Parry, had only amassed a mere 74 points.

However, that defeat proved an unlikely catalyst as Netherfield then went unbeaten throughout the second half of the season, winning nine, gaining two winning draws and seeing one match abandoned.

A truly remarkable turnaround.

So near yet so far

By contrast, for cross-town rivals Kendal, it turned into a 'nearly but not quite' season in which their new South African professional, Ross McMillan, was outstanding with both bat and ball.

The Shap Road side were in a strong position to win the championship until the end of August when they suffered a heavy defeat at home by Leyland with the result that they entered the final day as the outsiders of the four teams who could take the title and, despite a confident victory over Preston, other results meant that Kendal had to be content with the runners-up spot.

Kendal were also unlucky in two cup competitions, losing in both the Lancashire Knockout and the Northern League Cup in bowl-outs.

WHO WON WHAT? Champions: Netherfield T20 Trophy: Barrow Northern League Cup: Morecambe

However, there was greater success in the Cockspur Cup where Ikram Ullah's side recorded impressive wins over the likes of fellow Northern League sides, Fleetwood and Netherfield, before Derbyshire Premier League outfit Sandiacre Town proved just too strong for them in the final 16.

Meanwhile, Barrow had a solid mid-table performance under new captain, Daryl Wearing, finishing ninth.

The club has a number of youngsters, such as Jonathan Miles and Darren Clark, who are beginning to make an impact and survived the loss of county keeper Chris D'Leny for the whole season due to injury.

Highlights for the Ernest Pass men included Graham Dawson's six-wicket haul against reigning champions St Annes.

The best of the rest

Amongst the other sides, Blackpool, led by astute skipper Paul Danson, surprised many to finish third whilst the vastly experienced Morecambe again made a strong showing, only losing out on the title on the final day for the second season running.

St Annes, despite players of the quality of Ian Austin and Michael Baer departing over the previous winter, finished strongly to claim fifth place and Leyland, who were top of the table in the first half of the season, faded a little to end sixth.

Chorley's impressive 18-year-old opening batsman, Josh Tolley, helped his side into a final seventh position, just in front of Darwen, another club to lose key players before the start of the season.

However, on August Bank Holiday Monday, Darwen's Gareth Cordingley finally joined a select band of Northern League batsmen to make 10,000 runs.

As for the rest, Preston finished 10th but had the consolation of reaching the Northern League Cup final while 11th-placed Carnforth boasted an outstanding professional in South African Ryan Bailey but lacked depth in batting.

Lancaster will have been disappointed with their final twelfth spot and Fleetwood, despite Adam Parker hitting 685 runs, really struggled and finished 34 points adrift at the bottom.

T20 success

Barrow gained their first Northern League prize since joining the competition in 2004 when they picked up the T20 trophy at Stanley Park.

Not all players in the Northern League see this competition as a priority but the first ever Finals' Day, held under rare sunny skies at Stanley Park, was highly competitive.

Hosts Blackpool defeated Chorley in the first semi-final in the morning with Richard Gleeson picking up three wickets in Chorley's below par 107-8.

Then, in the second match, Barrow's Jonathan Miles anchored the innings with 40 to guide his side past Lancaster's 111-6 with four wickets in hand.

The final itself saw Cumbrian youngster Darren Clark take command with a hard-hitting 55 in Barrow's impressive 156-7.

Tight bowling and fielding then strangled the Blackpool reply with the hosts finally falling 41 runs short, Barrow club chairman Ray Mowat chipping in with 3 for 19.

Northern League Cup

Morecambe assuaged their disappointment at missing out on the league title when, 24 hours later, they defeated Preston at Woodhill Lane to take the Furness Building Society Cup.

From 58-6 at one stage, Morecambe recovered to 122-9 in their 40 overs, thanks largely to a patient 40 from New Zealand professional, Bruce Martin.

Preston were then dismissed for 117 in reply giving the North Lancashire side a tense five-run win.