FARNWORTH’S dreams of a cup double remain intact after they beat Horwich by seven wickets on Wednesday night to claim the Hamer Cup for the first time since 2005.

Man-of-the-match Jason Swift delayed plans to travel down to Sussex to take up a new job as coach and analyst for the county, cancelling his train ticket to score the winning runs.

The former Lancashire and Bangladesh fielding coach will not be available, however, to play in the next leg of Farnworth’s cup odyssey, when they travel to Barrow on Sunday for their Lancashire Knockout quarter-final.

“It is a shame Jason won’t be available, but we are just grateful he was able and willing to delay his plans,” said Farnworth captain David Morris Jnr.

“He played a brilliant knock which won us the cup, so he has more than done his job for us.”

It took four days to complete the Hamer Cup final after rain stopped play on Sunday with Horwich still nine overs short of completing their innings and Farnworth yet to bat.

Competition rules state clubs must return each subsequent evening until there is a result.

No play was possible on Monday due to continued bad weather, so Horwich eventually brought their innings to a close on Tuesday when they were bowled out for a modest 170.

Chris Brownlow top scored for Horwich with 31, while former Farnworth bowler Adam Street was next best on 21.

Anwar Ul-Haq finished with 3-48 with the remaining wickets shared between Zafir Patel, Victor Walcott, Adil Nisar and Mo Adnan.

Farnworth ended up batting over two days after bad light stopped play on Tuesday.

Opener Swift carried his bat and hit the winning runs, ending on 72 not out as the Bridgeman Park outfit finished on 171-3.

Nisar (70) also played a huge part in the innings, coming in with Farnworth teetering after losing two early wickets before guiding them to the brink of victory with a battling half century.

Morris is now looking forward to repeating the performance at Barrow on Sunday and a possible showpiece finish to the season.

“Obviously I’m really pleased to win the Hamer Cup for the first time in eight years but the job is only half done,” he said.

“Our target at the start of the season was to do better in both cups, so we’ve achieved our first goal, now it is time for Barrow.

“It will be a very difficult game as they are the ECB Northern League champions, which is packed full of teams from much bigger towns than little old Farnworth.

“There are some big sides in there – like Preston, St Annes, Fleetwood and Kendal – so we will go into the game as underdogs.

“But the rumour is that the final is going to take place at Old Trafford, so that is a big carrot.”

Farnworth did a double the last time they won the Lancs Knockout in 2010, when they also finished the season as Bolton League champions.

Morris has conceded that probably will not happen again this season, with the skipper admitting that the title is Little Lever’s to lose.

But, with strugglers Tonge next up on home turf today, he has promised the reigning champions will not give up the fight.

“Our early season form has made it difficult for us, but we will continue to try in every game and hope Little Lever slip up.”