FURNESS'S bowlers produced a demolition job on Carlisle to bring home the Higson Cup.

Led by three wickets each from professional Rishi Dhawan and Mark Daly, Furness dismissed their opponents for just 69 at Cleator to go one better than they had last year.

Captain Scott Pearcey lifted the trophy aloft after his side chased down the target for the loss of just two wickets, and after only 18.1 overs, making it a second piece if silverware in the Furness cabinet for this season.

The team had already claimed the South Cumbria Twenty20 crown once more, but this was the trophy they desired after a two-wicket loss to Cleator in last year's showpiece.

Yet they went into the match on the back of a heavy loss to leaders Cockermouth in the North Lancs and Cumbria Premier Division a day earlier, while Carlisle had beaten Lindal Moor.

That might not have boded well for Furness, but it did not take them long to have Carlisle on the ropes.

The North Cumbrians had won the toss and decided to bat, but within the blink of an eye they were three wickets down.

Thomas Benn was the first to fall, caught by Garry Thompson off the bowling of man-of-the-match Dhawan with the score on four. Opening partner Ben Davidson followed without further addition, caught behind by Mike Gadsden off the bowling of Pete Lawson.

And Carlisle were in even deeper trouble, at 5 for 3, when Lawson claimed his second victim of the afternoon, Dhawan catching Marc Brown for a duck.

Furness had their tails up, and their opponents needed professional Ernie Kemm to shine of they were to have any chance of a recovery.

He put on 19 for the third wicket with Jonathan Davidson, but with his score on 17, he was caught behind by Gadsden as Dhawan claimed the crucial wicket.

There were stuttering partnerships thereafter for Carlisle, but none went beyond 16. Davidson scored 11 and James Lythgoe 13, but no-one else reached double-figures.

The final three wickets went for the addition of just two runs, with Daly claiming the scalps of Lythgoe – caught by Lewis Gribbin – Henry Walker – caught off his own bowling – and number 11 James Bell – again snaffled by Gribbin – to wrap up the tail.

He ended with figures of 3 for 20 from 7.2 overs, with Dhawan taking 3 for 26 from seven. Thompson and Lawson ended with two wickets apiece – the former's costing just four runs from seven overs and the latter's 15 from seven as the innings ended on the second ball of the 29th over.

The target was one of the smallest in living memory in the Higson Cup final, and despite an early wobble, it was to prove to major obstacle to the Furness batsmen.

The only concern came when opener Ryan Griffiths was caught by Bell off the bowling of Fraser Conn with the scores on just five.

But his exit brought Pearcey to the crease, and he played a captain's knock, helping take the score along to 50 before Gadsden went for 15, caught by Fraser Conn off Walker.

Dhawan joined his skipper, and they ensured the final runs were easily knocked off – the professional hitting two fours and a big six down the ground in an innings of 17 off only 11 balls.

Furness reached their target off the first ball of the 18th over, with Pearcey unbeaten on 34 before he went to lift the trophy.