Workington beat top four rivals Cockermouth in an absorbing, low-scoring game at the Valentine Ground which didn’t quite pan out as last year.
Back then Cockermouth had climbed off the floor to beat their hosts after being reduced to 17-6, recovering to reach 78 and then bowled out Workington for 59.
Cockermouth were in an even worse plight than in June 2022 as they slumped to 15-8, the cream of the batting destroyed by Ben Scott (5-7) and skipper Matt Lowden (3-11).
That they were able to eventually reach 86 all out was down to a gritty ninth wicket stand of 42 between Josh Brown (28no) and Jack Bloomer (11). Then Gabriel Drimmie (9) helped Brown add another 29 for the last wicket.
Kristian Moffat took both the last two wickets to fall and all ten during the afternoon were down to catches as Workington held onto their chances, some of them quite difficult.
Given their early collapse Cockermouth would have taken 86 as a final score to give them something to bowl at and their two Cumbria county players Matthew Siddall (3-22) and Sam Sharp (3-24) certainly gave them a chance.
Workington were wobbling at 31-5 with memories of 2022 looming spectre-like but Simon Beare (16) helped steady the ship before the experienced Moffat (33no) and Lowden (5no off 48 deliveries) saw their side home with an immensely sensible unbroken seventh wicket partnership.
It was an excellent way for Workington to bounce back after their first League defeat a week earlier at Furness, but they stay two points behind champions Carlisle.
The city side maintained their narrow advantage at the top with a five wicket win over Wigton at Edenside.
Wigton had opted to bat first after winning the toss and they made 150 before being bowled out in the final over. Opener George Johnston (58) and Keiran Little (22) did best with the bat,
Jonathan Davidson took 3-31; Chris Blythe had 3-22 and Nico Watt, against his former club, chipped in with 2-27 for Carlisle.
Carlisle had their set-backs but got to 151-5 in the 43rd over with Marc Brown (44) and James Dawson (34) leading the way. Lewis Little took three of the wickets to fall.
Egremont have been getting close to that elusive first win with final ball deciders (a tie and a defeat) in their last two games. They were able to celebrate collecting maximum points at Gillfoot when they beat local rivals Cleator by 24 runs.
Professional Vathsal Govind was the hero as he made a faultless unbeaten 101 off 134 deliveries and helped himself to half of them in boundaries with 13 fours.
There was good help from Owen Thompson (32) and Mark Ponticelli (26 off 28 balls) as Egremont reached 193-4 in their 50 overs. Cameron Bell took 2-38 from his ten overs for Cleator.
A weakened Cleator team without Darren Clark, Tom Sharpe and David Blackwell were never up with the rate and apart from 32 from professional Abdul Muzammil and 25 from veteran Ian Clark they were all out for 169 in the 45th over.
The tail wagged through Owen Bell (20no) and David Glover (19) but in the end they fell short.
Wickets were mainly shared by Ponticelli (2-20), Ellis Gribbin (2-24), Sam Thompson (2-27) and Govind (2-38).
Top individual performance of the day came from Millom’s sub pro Punit Bisht who hit a remarkable 213 not out at Keswick as the south Cumbrians raced to 326-3 in their 50 overs. He only faced 152 balls, hit 31 fours and a six.
Millom had lost three wickets for 46 before Bisht, professional for Darwen in the Lancashire League after three successful years at Garstang, put on 280 in an unbroken fourth wicket stand with skipper Graham Dawson (82no). Scott McGown returned the best bowling figures for Keswick of 2-57.
Faced with their daunting task Keswick were eventually bowled-out for 175 at the end of the 40th over with Stephen Hindmarch (37) and James Benson (30) the main contributors.
For Millom Braith Conner took 4-34 and Declan Tyson had 3-47. Bisht, a wicket-keeper by trade, even had three overs and took 1-3.
Millom’s Robbie Wilson said: “That’s the finest innings I have ever seen at our level and I believe it’s the first double century since the League was re-named.”
Furness had a comfortable win by 124 runs at Haverigg after they opted to bat first and reached 247-7 in their 50 overs.
Professional Yash Dubey (58), Faizan Ghumman (38) and Sam Dutton (36) led the way for Furness before an unbroken eighth wicket stand of 56 between Garry Thompson (34no) and Ryan Griffiths (20no) added late impetus.
Kevin Rogan took 3-64 while Umar Waheed had 2-26.
Haverigg’s reply got off to a positive start through skipper Drew Postlethwaite (39) but there was little else to ignite them apart from Rogan’s 35 not out and they were eventually bowled-out for 123 in 37 overs.
Ghumann took 5-24 from his ten overs while Thompson chipped in with 2-34 from his ten.
In a tight, low-scoring game at Lindal Moor it was visitors Whitehaven who edged it by two wickets to pocket ten valuable points.
Electing to take first use of the wicket Lindal struggled and with the most significant knocks from opener Callum McDougall (25) and Chris Scrogham (22) only managed to post 110 before they were bowled-out at the end of the 34th over.
Whitehaven pro Terance Warde took 3-15 from eight overs with Billy Thompson (2-11) and Josh Foster (2-26) providing most support.
Whitehaven looked well place when they went past sixty for the loss of just two wickets but slumped tom 91-8 and the game was on a knife edge.
But Warde (42no) guided his side to victory after the best contributions had come at the top of the order from Foster (24) and opener Leo Sanczuk (22).
John Atkinson produced a fine spell for Lindal of ten overs, eight maidens and three for nine. Edward Waind took 2-18.
