FARNWORTH captain Simon Booth says tomorrow's Hamer Cup final has special meaning following his Bolton cricket legend father Larry's death this week.

Larry, who was a professional in the Bolton leagues and played virtually all his life, passed away unexpectedly in his sleep on Sunday night, aged 72.

Simon will lead his team into the Bolton League's showpiece game of the season against Kearsley at Westhoughton Cricket Club when thoughts of his dad will not be far away for many.

Larry was hugely well known throughout local cricket as a great player, a big-hitting batsman and a well-liked person.

He was a professional in an era when Bolton league cricket attracted some top international players.

He will forever have a place in Bolton cricket history as he holds the all-time record for scoring the fastest century in the 127-year history of the Bolton and District Cricket Association which has now folded.

He took just 54 minutes to score 103 not out for Daisy Hill against Walshaw, including nine sixes and eight fours in 1977.

Simon said: "I spoke to him on Sunday night as usual and he was his normal self, then he just died in his sleep.

"It was to do with his heart but it wasn't a heart attack and he didn't suffer so if there's any consolation I suppose it's that.

"He was really looking forward to watching the cup final with his son as captain of one of the sides.

"A few of the lads have said if we win it on Sunday, we win it for him.

"I have played in the final before and won it before but never won it as captain.

"Now it has special meaning, even more special than before."

Simon, who is similarly steeped in Bolton cricket, having played since being a junior, has been overcome by the amount of messages of support and condolence he and his family have received this week.

"I've had so many messages, literally from all over the world – Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, India, South Africa, everywhere," he said.

"It's been overwhelming and a real comfort.

"The circle of people you know when you play cricket is incredible, it's so big when you play you know so many people from so many places.

"And to get the amount of messages I have from so many people all around the world has been wonderful. My phone has literally never stopped going off."

Simon said he has also learned this week more about how good his dad actually was at cricket.

"I knew he was good, you can't be a professional at a time when there were some real top-quality professionals from all over the world playing in Bolton and not be good.

"But listening to people, I didn't know how good he was.

"When you look at the money paid out for the standard of cricketers these days people have said to me you wouldn't be able to afford a Larry Booth now.

"He pro'd from being 19 and played all his life until he was 64.

"He was an ex-pro footballer as well as cricketer – he played for Bury – but had to make a decision to play one or the other and he chose cricket."

Looking ahead to tomorrow's game, when Farnworth – who this week re-signed pro Noman Ali for next season – will be looking to win the Hamer Cup for the first time since 2013, Simon said: "It's a very, very evenly-matched contest.

"The only doubts both sides will have is we will both have sub-professionals and we won't be sure what they're going to do.

"I agree with Cameron [Murray, the Kearsley captain in his interview in The Bolton News yesterday], it's going to come down to fine margins and probably how the amateurs perform.

"This final's a bit special for one or two of our players especially.

"Jon Kerrigan has never won the Hamer Cup. He's played for years and won everything else – the Lancashire Knockout, T20, the league, everything except the Hamer Cup.

"He said he really wants to win it. Iain McLellan's the same, another who's played forever and not got a Hamer Cup.

"And Danny Higham's not won it either I think and he's going back to his old club which will be special."

And Westhoughton, who have worked hard to prepare an impressive stage for the final, is the right place to stage it, according to Simon.

"It could have been at Horwich but Westhoughton got the vote, which I think is right," he said.

"Westhoughton is the best facility. The Hamer Cup is supposed to be the showpiece game in the Bolton League and it should be at the best facility.

"Horwich's pitch has been absolutely fantastic this season, seriously good. They've really got it up to a top standard, but Westhoughton for me is the right choice for the game.

"If people are coming from other leagues to watch the game, hopefully they'll watch a good game on a great ground and think 'yeah, the Bolton League's all right'."