It’s a big game for Cumbria in the NCCA One Day Trophy on Sunday as they face a bang in-form Northumberland side at the Allendale club.
It’s about 12 miles over the county border from Alston and a picturesque ground to stage an important clash.
Both sides are unbeaten this year in the competition with Northumberland already guaranteed a place in the quarter finals, having won all three of their games to date.
If Northumberland win they will top the group and have a home quarter final.
At the moment any of the remaining teams in the group could come second, on net run rate, in the group by equalling the four points Cumbria have already secured.
Cumbria need to win to qualify and then they would have the chance to clinch home advantage in the next round when they play Lincolnshire at Keswick a week on Sunday (June 25).
They should be used to each other but now but both games against Northumberland in the T20 had to be called off because of the weather.
As well as Sunday’s One Day Trophy clash they are also due to meet in the NCCA Championship at Carlisle in August.
Northumberland have yet to announce their squad but they are clearly one of the form teams this year.
Their captain and pro, Irish International, Stuart Poynter has been to the fore in the two games he has played scoring 235 runs HS 171 at a strike rate of over 135 with each of Nikhil Gorantla, Ben Robinson and Ross Whitfield scoring half centuries.
Poynter currently leads the NCCA MVP awards and his run haul is the highest in the competition so far this season, while Robinson with 151 runs is the fifth highest.
Callum Fletcher has been their most successful bowler with 11 wickets in 3 games and is the second highest wicket taker in the NCCA Trophy this season.
Cumbria have announced: Michael Slack (Carlisle) capt, Sam Dutton (Furness), Freddie Fallows (Kendal), Drew Postlethwaite (Haverigg) wk, Finday Richardson (Kendal), Matthew Sempill (Cockermouth), Sam Sharp (Cockermouth), Matthew Siddall (Cockermouth), Ben Walkden (Newton-le-WIllows), Nathan Waterston (Furness), Nico Watt (Carlisle), Chris Wright (Dorridge & Leicestershire CCC).
It is the second time that Northumberland have played at Allendale beating Lincolnshire last year successfully chasing down a target of 275.
Cumbria and Northumberland have met 19 times before in the One Day Trophy. Previous results between the two sides in the competition have overall been slightly in favour of Cumbria 8-7 with 1 tied and 3 abandonments/no result, but with Cumbria having the best of the matches between the two sides since 2015.
Last year’s match being rained off.
Scheduled start time on Sunday is 11am but the forecast is for scattered showers as the long spell of glorious weather is set to break.
