While the top three clubs all won yesterday, there were important victories for two clubs at the lower end of the Cumbria League’s Premier Division.
Wigton scored their first win of the season when they beat Keswick by three wickets and are now just five points adrift of a clutch of three clubs.
Egremont leapt into the top six with a second successive victory when they beat Millom by two wickets in a low-scoring game.
At Lowmoor Road visitors Keswick elected to bat first and recovered well from losing both openers with just 20 on the board.
Ben Sharp (44) and pro Risith Upamal (30) got them going and then Paul Hindmarch dominated the remainder of the innings. He was unbeaten, just two short of a whirlwind century when the innings closed on 227-7.
He only faced 64 deliveries, struck seven fours and eight sixes and had best support at the end from Scott McGown (20). Wigton pro Chris Hodgson took 3-37.
Victory must have seen a long way away when Wigton were struggling at 40-3 before a stand of 67 between Hodgson (26) and Matt Reed (46) got them moving.
However Keswick were looking favourites when the home side were pegged back to 168-7.
Wigton’s eighth wicket pair of Lewis Little (49no) and George Spark (25no) then proceeded to put together an unbroken, match-winning stand of 60 to carry them over the line with seven balls to spare.
Hindmarch completed a good personal game by taking 3-25 from his ten overs for Keswick, who are now among the three clubs just above Wigton in the table, all just five points better off. The Lakes side did not help their cause by sending down 25 wides.
Egremont had been on the rise after a tie, last ball defeat and win in their last three League games, and they added another victory to their improved run of form when they travelled to Millom and won a tight contest by two wickets.
Millom had chosen to bat first but Coady Scott took three wickets to blow away the top order, including sub pro Bryce Street for nought.
Braith Connor (19) did his bit to rally the middle order and although three home batsmen reached double figures they couldn’t get to 20 and were eventually bowled-out for 79 in 37.2 overs.
Scott finished with the admirable figures of 7.2-3-6-4 and received excellent support from Jackn Thompson who took 4-15 from his eight overs.
Egremont’s reply started even worse than their hosts as the top three batsmen were all dismissed without scoring, including in-form pro Vathsal Govind.
The winning reply of 83-8 in 31.4 overs owed much to Vickram Balakrishnan (24) and Owen Thompson (13), the only two batsmen in double figures, although they were helped by Millom sending down 15 wides in their 27 extras.
Declan Tyson was the most successful Millom bowler taking 3-10 in his 8.4 overs.
Leaders Carlisle have had problems at Whitehaven before but not on this occasion. Chase Young, a match-changing opponent in the past, only made one as did professional Terance Warde and the hosts struggled after being put in to bat.
It was left to the youngsters in the side to get into three figures as Josh Foster (32), Leo Sanczuk (24) and Nathan Carmichael (20) were the only batsmen in double figures.
County spinner Nico Watt took 5-25 from his ten overs as Whitehaven were dismissed for 104 in 38.4 overs.
Carlisle got to their target with six wickets to spare at the start of the 36th over with Graeme Ion (29) and Josh Stirling (20no) making the most contributions.
Workington continued their good run with a comfortable home win against Haverigg after skipper Matty Lowden had won the toss and elected to bat.
The home side were 27-2 at one point, which included a rather controversial stumping of Kiwi Davis Mills after he had gone out of his ground to do some ‘gardening’ after the ball had harmlessly gone through to the wicket keeper.
From that point, however, Workington upped the tempo and simply raced along helped by some rather slack fielding and 35 wide deliveries.
Callum Sutton (79) Tom Fox (74) and Sam Bates (26) enjoyed their time in the middle before a late cameo from Kristian Moffat (46no off 38 balls) pushed Workington to 293-8 in their 50 overs.
Haverigg were never really in the hunt for a win although opener Drew Postlethwaite produced some fine shots in his knock of 67. When he went it was just a question of whether the tail could gather in a losing point and they did so, reaching 147 before David Chisnall took two wickets in two balls to finish off the innings at 147.
Dan McDermott, who has returned to the Workington side this season after a break, took 3-45.
Furness stayed third in the table after a seven wicket win at home to Lindal Moor.
Lindal started disastrously and were 1-3 and 20-4 before losing a fifth wicket at 48 before they rallied.
Aseem Wadhwa (82) and Cameron Troughton (48) figured in a stand of 102 for the sixth wicket and eventually they were bowled out in the 41st over for 171.
Josh Shaw did most of the damage for Furness as he took 6-44 from his ten overs.
Furness were put well on the way to victory by an opening stand of 106 between pro Yash Dubey (62) and Lewis Gribbin (59) before Nathan Waterston (27no) steered them home in the 40th over.
Cockermouth bounced back from last week’s defeat against Workington with a comfortable nine-wicket home win against Cleator.
The visitors could only manage 101, bowled-out in the 45th over, and most of the runs were made by Doug Hughes (44) and pro Abdul Muzammil (28). Alex Grainger (5-17) and Gareth White (3-15) did all the damage with the ball.
Grainger (43no) and Ryan Carruthers (35) had put them half-way there with an opening stand of 57 and skipper Matt Sempill (19no) stayed to see his side comfortably home from just 11.1 overs.
