Cumbria earned their second successive win in the NCCA Trophy competition when they beat Herefordshire by 18 runs at Cockermouth.
In the end it was closer than it looked likely after Cumbria had posted an imposing 280-6 from their 50 overs.
The visitors were 1-2 after skipper Michael Slack struck twice in the opening over before a third wicket partnership of 117 between Jujhar Johal (61) and Zain Ul Hussan (78) righted the ship.
Carlisle spinner Nico Watt had Johal caught behind by Finlay Richardson and then the Netherfield wicket-keeper accounted for Shameer Ahmed for nought off Brodie Glendinning.
Once again Herefordshire needed a repair job but with Ul Hassan still there he found a willing ally in WJJ Rowe and together they put on another 66 runs for the fifth wicket.
It was Keswick’s James McGown who got rid of Ul Hassan, caught by Sam Dutton, and although behind the required run rate Herefordshire were still in with a shout at 186-5.
Rowe had looked dangerous when he reached 51 off 46 deliveries before being run out by Gary Pratt and at 225-6 they still needed 64 off seven overs and two balls.
Although 34 runs came off the next three overs it was Cockermouth spinner Matthew Sempill who dealt them two serious blows when he had captain Barney Morgan stumped by Richardson and the dangerous James Rudge caught by Slack.
Slack had Owais Mohammed caught by Glendinning in the penultimate over and off the last over the visitors needed 22 for an unlikely victory with the last pair at the wicket.
Sempill conceded a couple of singles off his first two deliveries before a dot ball and off the fourth ball Mason was run out by Slack to confirm a Cumbria victory.
Slack finished with 3-48 and Sempill took 2-6 off 1.4 overs.
Cumbria had actually been invited to bat and their 288-6 owed a lot to former skipper Gary Pratt who opened the innings with Sam Dutton and went on to make 122, being sixth out with the score on 247.
He lost Dutton and Slack cheaply and after Marcus Stables (22) had stemmed the early breakthroughs he figured in a stand of 146 for the fourth wicket with Sempill (49).
Glendinning (37no) and Richardson (16no) put on 41 valuable runs at the end of an innings which had been dominated by Pratt. He faced 139 balls, hit 15 fours and a six.
Rudge was the pick of the Herefordshire bowlers, taking 3-45 from his 10 overs.
