Cumbria are well placed to win their opening game in the NCCA Championship against Northumberland at Tynemouth.
After Sunday the game was nicely poised but by the end of the second day Cumbria were in charge and on course for the victory. After another fine bowling effort from Matthew Siddall.
After bowling out their hosts for 177, Cumbria had finished the first day on 154-6 and they were able to go on and establish a first innings lead of 71.
Siddall, who had taken a county personal best of 6-60 followed-up with 5-49 when Northumberland batted a second time and were dismissed for 205, leaving Cumbria needing to score 135 for victory. At the close they were 17 without loss.
Nico Watt played a very responsible and patient innings over two hours and 44 minutes, facing 143 balls and only dispatching four to the boundary.
There was initial support from Brodie Glendinning (13) as they put on 52 for the seventh wicket and then Drew Postlethwaite helped carve out another 32 partnership before Watt was trapped leg before for 55.
Postlethwaite finished with 36 after being last man to fall, run out after 54 minutes in the middle. Max Williamson, who removed Watt, was Northumberland’s most successful bowler with 4-59.
Although Northumberland lost opener Sol Bell, caught by skipper Michael Slack off Siddall for nine, they made steady progress and had knocked-off the deficit when they lost Ben Robinson (30), trapped lbw by Watt.
Finlay McCreath, their main batsman in the first innings, was also the most defiant opponent second time round, and battled for almost two and a half hours for 68. When he was out in the 49th over Northumberland had progressed to 156-4, a lead of 85.
But Northumberland then proceeded to lose their last six wickets for only the addition of 49 runs with Siddall claiming four more. He finished with match figures of 43.1-8-109-11. Glendinning took 3-49.
The Cumbrian openers Ben Davidson (5no) and Alex Grainger (4np) had ten overs to negotiate before the close. Northumberland tried four bowlers but were unable to make the breakthrough and Cumbria will be favourites to complete the job.
