WORKINGTON Cricket Club’s decision to hire a professional for 2005 helped them win the Higson Cup and finish third in the North Lancs League’s premier division.

Kiwi Simon Beare proved such a hit - in more ways than one - that he’s been signed-up already for next year.

Big-hitting Beare, whose innings of 215 to set-up the sensational Higson Cup final win is still being talked about, hammered over a thousand runs during the season.

Remarkably Beare scored 714 of his 1,061 runs in boundaries - made-up of 114 fours and 43 sixes - and he only faced 939 balls in compiling them.

He finished the campaign with an average of 55.84 from his 24 innings - and he also played his part in the field and with the ball.

He took 34 wickets, at a averge cost of 27.17, and he also held 15 catches - more than any other fielder apart from wicket-keeper Calum Moffat (30).

Workington scorer Tim Kempster says it’s been a pleasure compiling Beare’s weekly stats and reckons his devastating innings against Keswick was one of the most sensational he has witnessed.

“There was a feeling early on when he arrived that he might have given his wicket away too early by taking risks but he settled down well.

“That knock in the final was brutal. He scored his century off 52 balls and his double century off 100. He also hit a ton against the champions Millom which took him 80 balls.

“I don’t think there was much doubt that he livened up a match when he got into the groove. He had four fifties which included two scores in the nineties, one of them not out,” said Kempster.

Beare, who has been heavily involved in youth development at the club, has enjoyed the experience of playing in England for the first time.

“I had to try and play differently because the wickets weren’t what I was used to back home. In the end I was happy with the way it worked out for me and I don’t see any reason why the team can’t do even better next year and make it to top spot,” said Beare.

Workington’s main wicket-taker in the 2005 season was Matthew Gorley who did enough to catch the selectors’ eye and earn a call-up to the Cumberland side in the Minor Counties.

For Workington he took 53 wickets (avge 15.2) and also scored 315 runs (avge 22.5).

He also had a reputation at the club as their main pro-buster - claiming the wickets of eight opposing professionals.

Andrew Reed (avge 16.82) and Simon James (avge 19.3) each took 40 league and cup wickets while Gary James (avge 33.85, 677 runs), Shaun Woolf (avge 28.88, 491 runs) and Kristian Moffat (avge 24.88, 448 runs) were the leading amateur batsmen behind Beare.