THERE’S no fudging the issue – King’s Road were the better team and ran out deserved winners last night.

But the boys from Battersea should have wrapped it up a lot quicker against Cairns Fudge after dominating most of the first match between the clubs.

An unlikely fightback after they looked dead and buried saw Fudge threaten to turn around the Tooting Bec Common clash.

And it wasn’t until a nervy final over, with Fudge needing 14, that Shailesh Joshi took the final wicket to secure the win.

The Road had posted a club record Twenty20 total of 154 after a sensational partnership between captain Giles Fagan and red hot run machine Tom Barnes put them in the driving seat.

Giles was at his most fluent as he smacked the ball around to hit a quickfire 66. And Tom, following his match-winning 88 not out against the Thespian Thunderers, never looked in trouble as he crashed 60 brutal runs.

After that The Road’s attack reduced Fudge to 46 for 6 before the fightback came – aided by a string of dropped catches – and saw the visitors get within touching distance.

Shailesh finished with two and Leon Watson grabbed his fourth three-for of the season.

Fudge were finally dismissed 13 short on 142 as The Road held on.

FULL report and scorecard to follow.