TWO proud amateur sides with strong Challenge Cup pedigrees will go head to head at Twist Lane on Saturday when Leigh Miners Rangers take on NCL Champions West Hull in an intriguing third round tie, kick-off 2.30pm.

The open nature of the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup draw has paired the two amateur sides who both have proud records in the competition.

Miners were named Community Club of the Year for their exploits in the 2011 competition and famously knocked out the then-professional Bramley at Headingley in 1999 to secure their only appearance to date in the fourth round.

Wests have an even more illustrious record having reached the fifth round in 1996, setting a benchmark for an amateur club, after wins over Highfield and York while back in the 1970s they secured a famous victory over Halifax.

The current vintage swept the board in the amateur game last year, including a victory over Miners to lift the Steve Prescott Charity Shield, and although Mark Hewitt’s squad is deprived of a few experienced campaigners through injury and retirement they have started ominously in 2015 with wins over Thatto Heath and Hunslet Warriors in the previous rounds of the Challenge Cup, and the successful defence of the Charity Shield by defeating East Leeds.

Last weekend they pushed League One side North Wales Crusaders hard in the League One Cup before succumbing to defeat.

Miners reached the third round with a victory over Walney.