HOLDERS Worthing CC were barely extended to beat Goring by nine wickets in the Worthing Evening League KO Cup final at the Manor Ground on Tuesday.
Rishi Bhardwaj's unbeaten 50 saw Worthing reach their modest target of 75 with 7.1 overs to spare. Bhardwaj, who scored 24 of his runs in boundaries, had earlier played his part with the ball by taking 2-10 in five overs.
Worthing skipper Kevin
Punter admitted afterwards that he had expected to chase a more competitive total.
He said: "Even though it was a good toss to lose, I was very surprised that it was so easy for us, as I had reckoned on having to go for about 140. Our bowlers put the ball on the right spot all the time and then Rishi batted brilliantly."
There was little that Goring's disappointed skipper Gareth Cook could say apart from his philosophical comment: "There's not much one can do when nothing goes to hand."
Cook had no regrets about batting first, even though Goring lost their first three wickets for 12 runs. That virtually took the wind from their sails as only three of their batsmen reached double figures.
Russell Brown, who took 4-26 in his six overs, started Goring's problems. Their fourth-wicket pair David Pittham and Alex Maynard provided the main resistance by adding 20.
Shane Felton maintained Worthing's stranglehold as Seb Cartwright was the only other batsman to make any headway. But Felton polished off the tail to finish with 4-22 in five overs.
Bhardwaj dominated Worthing's reply so much that his opening partner Stuart Carter was virtually a spectator. Carter scored his only run in the fifth over as Bhardwaj, Worthing's Indian overseas player, placed his shots well without having to hurry.
After Carter's departure, Bhardwaj and Alex Harris only needed three overs to add 34. Bhardwaj reached his 50 with his sixth boundary, and that was the winning hit.
In the semi-finals, Worthing had overcome St Mary's by 89 runs when Bhardwaj smashed 89 in their total of 214-7.
Goring defeated league champions, The Cricketers, who had been in both the previous finals, by 13 runs.
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