Cumbria won a lot of praise for their performance in the Showcase game with Lancashire after going down by 47 runs.
Lancashire fielded a younger side that in previous years which led to what felt like a more even contest.
But despite their youth, the Lancashire team was bursting with high-level experience as nine of them were ex-England U19 internationals pitched against what was largely Cumbria’s 50-overs side without an experienced pro.
Mopping up operations were still going on at the scheduled start time but unlike last year when the contest was reduced to 22 overs a side, this time there was sufficient time for 36 overs each.
Again Cumbria performed with credit against their professional opponents, but arguably had both the games taken away from them in the final stages of the Lancashire innings when they launched a successful ‘bazball‘ style assault on the Cumbria bowling.
When it was their return Cumbria could not repeat that kind of late blitz so fell short of the target.
After Lancashire won the toss and batted Ed Moulton, a former player with the Red Rose county, struck an early blow by bowling Harry Singh (1).
Nico Watt (Carlisle) and Sam Sharp (Cockermouth) came into the attack from the 8th over and the latter had Bell (31) caught behind by Drew Postlethwaite (Haverigg) with the penultimate ball of the 12th over.
Five overs later Watt removed Vilas, caught by former Lancashire 2nds player Ben Walkden and although Matthew Siddall (Cockermouth) conceded 12 in his first over he kept his cool and bowled George Lavelle (20) with the third ball of his second over.
Then Siddall gained revenge for his first over mauling by George Balderson (71) when he had him caught by Walkden.
At 166-5 off 27.2 overs the run rate was just over 6. However, Matthew Hurst and Tom Aspinwall then forged the partnership of the match – 106 off 55 balls – to take Lancs to 272/5 from their 36 overs.
It was a case of what might have been because Cumbria spurned two chances in one over when Hurst was on two and four and he went on to make 69 off 44 balls.
The innings break provided an opportunity for Cartmel Cricket Club juniors to demonstrate All Stars cricket and it was great to see Balderson and Vilas join in with the youngsters.
Faced with the challenge of bettering a run rate of 7.5 Cumbria were on track, scoring 28 off 4 overs, but unfortunately for the loss of both openers Freddie Fallows, Kendal (22 off 17) and Sam Dutton, Furness (0).
These losses brought together ex-Lancashire 2nd team-mates Walkden and J.J. Fielding and their partnership of 65 off 66 balls kept Cumbria in the frame. When Walkden (27) was dismissed Cumbria were 92/3 off 14.2 overs.
As has often been the case in the one-day format of the game this season captain Michael Slack (Carlisle) then featured in Cumbria’s highest partnership of the match. At the halfway point of their innings Cumbria (115-3) were ahead of where Lancashire had been (96-3).
For 24 overs Cumbria were reasonably on target and competing then as Slack and Fielding had put on 73 when the skipper was caught and bowled by Singh to leave Cumbria on 165-4 off 24.2.
Six balls later Fielding fell, having top scored with 67 off 60 balls. He hit five sixes and on one occasion caused Lancashire’s Lavelle to climb the wall to retrieve the ball from the road.
The remaining Cumbrian batsmen were unable to establish any meaningful partnerships.
Matthew Sempill (Cockermouth, 20 off 18); Watt (2); Moulton (17 off 21), Sharp (2 off 6); Postlethwaite (11 off 17) before he was out off the last ball of the match leaving Cumbria 225 all out in 36 overs.
