MASTER blasters Furness produced a dominant display to retain the South Cumbria Twenty20 Cup.

Scott Pearcey’s side swept aside finals day hosts Lindal Moor and then Millom to claim the trophy for the sixth time in the last seven years.

On what was a glorious day for cricket at Pennington Lane, North Lancs and Cumbria League Premier Division side Furness secured the title with a crushing 128-run defeat of Division One Millom.

Garry Thompson smashed 84 from just 34 balls as Furness piled on 226-6 off their 20 overs.

This included an opening stand of 144 between Thompson and Ryan Griffiths.

Thompson’s 84 included six sixes and eight fours, while Griffiths scored 60 from 33 balls with four sixes and five fours.

Nathan Waterson also chipped in with 37, with Billy Thompson taking 3-44.

Millom were looking for a big score from danger man Graham Dawson in reply, but he was dismissed by New Zealand international Seth Rance in the first over for no score, and the underdogs were up against it from that moment. Despite a battling 30 from Ian Swarbrick, Millom were never in the hunt, and were dismissed for 98 in the 15th over.

In their semi-final, Furness hammered Division One leaders Lindal Moor by eight wickets.

Moor could only muster 101-8 in their 20 overs, with opener Lee Hogg making 39. Mark Daly took 4-16 against his former club, including three wickets in his final over.

In a pre-cursor of what was to come in the final, Griffiths and Thompson produced a blistering start for Furness, with a partnership of 78 in just 8.4 overs.

Griffiths made 34 and Thompson 50 not out and Furness won for the loss of two wickets, and with nine overs to spare.

The closest game of the day was the first semi-final between Dalton and Millom.

Dalton made 147-7, with openers Madawa Warnapura making 40 and Tom Heywood 59 (including three sixes and five fours). Paul O’ Callaghan took 3-18.

After the loss of three early wickets, Millom were indebted to a hundred partnership between Dawson and Swarbrick.

Dawson made an undefeated 75 (four sixes, seven fours) and Swarbrick 37 (two sixes, three fours) as Millom won with three overs to spare.

Results

Semi-finals: Dalton 147-7 (T Heywood 59, M Warnapura 40, P O’Callaghan 3-18) lost to Millom 150-4 (G Dawson 75 not out, I Swarbrick 37) by six wickets.

Lindal Moor 101-8 (L Hogg 39, M Daly 4-16) lost to Furness 105-2 (G Thompson 50 not out, R Griffiths 34) by eight wickets.

Final: Furness 226-6 (G Thompson 84, R Griffiths 60, N Waterson 37, B Thompson 3-44) beat Millom 98 (I Swarbrick 30) by 128 runs.