KINGS of the short game Furness have their sights set on a fifth South Cumbria Twenty20 Cup success in six years.

They will host finals day once again on Sunday, confident of retaining the crown on home soil and making it an unprecedented quintuple triumph in the competition.

Furness play Dalton in the semi-finals, with the winner of that clash taking on either Haverigg or Lindal.

The tournament offers Furness skipper Scott Pearcey a great opportunity to claim some silverware in his first season in the role.

Furness have fallen a long way behind leaders Workington in the race for the North Lancs and Cumbria League Premier Division title following last week's defeat to the West Cumbrians, and the Rams have no Higson Cup final to look forward to this year.

But Furness have not given up hope of catching Workington in the league, and they are still very much alive in two cup competitions, with a County Cup semi-final at home to Northern League Kendal a week on Sunday.

First of all Furness will look to lift the Twenty20 – a cup they have dominated in recent seasons.

It is twelve years since North Lancs and Cumbria League teams from the south of the county first contested the 20-overs-per-side competition, with the likes of Lindal, Haverigg and Millom enjoying success in the early years, before Furness took over.

With in-form New Zealand professional Seth Rance leading the bowling unit, and the likes of big-hitting left-handers Ryan Griffiths and Garry Thomspon capable of ripping attacks apart, they will take some stopping on home turf.

Dalton are no mugs though. They possess plenty of firepower at the crease, including Mike Hargreaves and Tom Heywood, while Jon Bell, Liam Steele and South African Johannes Diseko can do damage with the ball.

Whoever triumphs will face Haverigg or Lindal in the final.

The Poolsiders will look to classy Caribbean ace Dalton Polius to get among the runs again and all-rounders Jordan Postlethwaite and Dale Graham have shown good form.

Mark Daly has been in superb nick for Lindal and will relish the chance of playing at his old stamping ground.

Daly can win matches with bat and ball, and John Atkinson – fresh from claiming his 1,000th victim for the club last weekend – along with fellow spinner Ed Waind could also have a big say in matters.

Lindal are desperate to bring to an end a dismal record on Finals Day, which has seen them lose at the semi-final stage eight times out of nine, but Haverigg will be very difficult opponents.

In the Northern League tomorrow, Toby Mowat's Barrow will look to continue the form which saw them win at Netherfield last week when they entertain mid-table St Annes.