CONNOR Ashworth turned in a man-of-the-match performance worthy of any final as Paignton defeated Lustleigh by 28 runs to lift the Brockman Cup.
It was a big night all round for the Ashworth family – stalwarts of the Queens Park club for more than 40 years – as three of them were in the winning team.
Connor and dad Mark both made 46 and featured in a stand of 49 for the fourth wicket in Paignton’s 20-over total of 144 for seven.
After Mark got out, followed by two more wickets in quick succession, another son Joel came out to bat with his brother.
Joel and Connor posted another 40 runs for the seventh wicket, in a stand which took the game away from Lustleigh.
Lustleigh tried to contain Paignton by opening the bowling with spinner Mike Brewer, whose figures of three for 14 from four overs speak for themselves.
Mike Sessions took two for 29 and held a spectacular overhead catch to dismiss Paignton’s Dan Wolf.
Lustleigh had to go for it from the off to knock off the runs and were well on the way at 66 for none at the 10-over halfway mark.
Losing Shaun Wight bowled by Connor Ashworth for 23 at 73 upset the Lustleigh applecart as four wickets went for 18 runs.
Mike Wright was in and out for two, Craig Bartlett was sent back by Paul Foot and run out for one then Foot was run out himself for 44.
Paignton’s bowlers turned the screw and a tidy spell from Will Castleton (2-19) that included potential dangerman Chris Simms, held Lustleigh to 118 for six in reply.
The cup was presented to winning captain Richard Lloyd by Angela Glendenning, the granddaughter of the competition’s founders William and Edith Brockman.
Lloyd has been a cup winner before with Paignton – exactly 20 years ago when he was a member of the team that defeated Totnes by 26 runs.
There was an Ashworth playing that night as well – Connor’s uncle Andy who was named man of the match!
Paignton 144-7 (C Ashworth 46, M Ashworth 46; M Brewer 3-14, M Sessions 2-29), Lustleigh 118-6 (P Foot 44, Sh Wright 23; W Castleton 2-18). Paignton bt Lustleigh by 28 runs.
