Cumbria almost made a remarkable recovery on the final day in their NCCA Championship game with Cambridgeshire at Barrow.
They had been facing a tough, uphill battle when losing their first four wickets for 72 in pursuit of 359 for victory.
The fact that they got within 34 runs of an unlikely victory was due, in the main, to a magnificent knock of 129 from the Cockermouth captain Matthew Sempill.
He had started the day alongside Gary Pratt but the former county skipper was an early casualty, caught and bowled by Mohammad Danyal for 21.
Skipper Michael Slack (10) and Brodie Glendinning (8) didn’t stay long and at 151-7 the Cambridgeshire victory push looked to be well on course.
But Sempill found a willing ally in the Haverigg wicket-keeper Drew Postlethwaite and together they put on 98 for the eighth wicket .
Postlethwasite went for 57 off 71 deliveries and Sempill was still there, batting sensibly and confidently, and had moved on to 75.
Cambridgeshire were still strong favourites with Cumbria on 249-8 and over a hundred still required but Sempill found another strong ally in teenager Josh Stirling.
They added another 71 runs but Sempill’s fine innings came to an end when he was bowled by Callum Guest, who was to prove the visitors’ main threat.
His mammoth innings had seen him face 239 balls and he hit ten fours and a six. It was a contribution which turned his side from also-rand into contenders, lifting them so close to an unlikely victory.
The last pair of Stirling (19no) and bowling hero Matthew Siddall did not survive long as the Cockermouth spinner was trapped leg before off the first ball he received.
It had been a great effort from Cumbria when all seemed lost with Guest the main thorn in their side, taking 6-99 off a marathon spell of 35.4 overs. Overall though, the game had been lost earlier when Cumbria had been bowled-out for 98 in their first innings.
Scores: Cambridgeshire 176 and 280 beat Cumbria 98 and 324 by 34 runs.
