Carlisle are firm favourites now to retain their Cumbria League Premier Division title.
In a crucial game at Furness they beat their nearest rivals by eight runs in an exciting finish when they had looked to be easing comfortably to a big win.
Carlisle had made 169 in 49.5 overs and had Furness reeling at 37-5 before Mark Daly (61no) breathed life into the home side and almost shepherded his side to a sensational win.
At the completion of their 50 overs they were 168-9 – Daly still there with last man Josh Shaw (0no) – after putting on 23 runs since the fall of the ninth wicket.
Michael Slack completed a starring role for Carlisle by taking 3-27 with Josh Stirling supporting with 3-40.
Earlier Slack (65) had steadied Carlisle when they lost both openers for ten as he and Ben Davidson (35no) had put on 105 for the third wicket. Chris Blyth chipped in with 17 late-on for Carlisle.
Sam Dutton, who removed both openers, finished with 2-24; Peter Lawson took 2-25 and Garry Thompson had 2-27.
Carlisle now lead the table with 147 points, eight better than Furness (139) while Workington are third on 127.
Workington had a comfortable win over Lindal Moor after winning the toss and electing to bat first.
The innings was dominated by a second wicket partnership of 120 with Davis Mills scoring exactly 50 while Jake Daniel took his score to 98 before he was given out lbw.
Callum Sutton added 28 and Workington closed on 255-9.
Lindal started slowly but then lost wickets at regular intervals despite a last wicket stand of 22 and were bowled-out for 77. Leading bowlers were Adam Chambers (3-5), Mills (3-15) and Regan Jackson (2-8).
It leaves Lindal Moor heavily involved in the relegation battle as the three teams in trouble all lost on Saturday.
Lindal have 67 points, trailing Cleator by five points and are four points ahead of Haverigg.
Cleator gave it a good shot at Millom where they eventually went down by 23 runs.
It was a poignant day at the Millom club, staging the first game since the death earlier in the week of the town’s cricketing legend David Lupton.
Millom won the toss and decided to bat, reaching 175-8 in their 50 overs. Sub pro Chirag Khurana (50) and Declan Tyson (51) rescued Millom who had slumped to 11-3 early on.
Doug Hughes took 3-43 for Cleator while David Blackwell bowled a particularly mean spell of ten overs and took 2-15.
Cleator started just as badly, slipping to 50-3 before James Rogers (54) and Abdul Muzammil (21) stopped the rot.
They had looked well out of it at 120-9 however until an unbroken last wicket stand between Adam Meagan (19no) and Ben Wishart (12no) took them a bit closer to their target before finishing on 152-9 after the 50 overs.
Khurana took 3-35 for Millom as the win consolidated their top six place.
Bottom side Haverigg were at Cockermouth where they eventually went under by seven wickets.
Batting first by choice they made 165-5 in their 50 overs led by Umar Waheed (55) with support from the Postlethwaite bothers – Jordan (42) and Drew (30). Alex Grainger was Cockermouth’s most successful bowler with 3-31.
Gareth White (65), skipper Matthew Sempill (45) and Grainger (27) were all among the runs at the top of the order as Cockermouth reached 166-3 in 45.2 overs.
Nearly 500 runs were scored at the Playground where Keswick beat their hosts by 54 runs.
Put in to bat Keswick responded well with professional Risith Upamal (102no) and in-form Paul Hindmarch (71 off 61 balls with five sixes and three fours) leading the way to their 50-overs total of 268-6.
Whitehaven pro Terance Warde took 3-22 off his ten overs and then top-scored for his side with 65.
Nathan Carmichael (37), skipper Stephen Holliday (26) and Matthew Harrison (26) gave good support but they fell short at 214-7. Upamal took 3-40.
In the final game Wigton were comfortable winners against Egremont with one of their promising younger players 23-year-old Lewis Little helping himself to a century – the second of his fledgling career,
He only faced 80 deliveries, striking ten fours and five sixes in his 100 after Matthew Reed (43) and Chris Hodgson (27) had rallied Wigton when they lost three early wickets.
Wigton closed their 50 overs on 229-9 with Ellis Gribben taking 3-44 for Egremont.
The visitors never seriously challenged the home total with sub pro Zachary McCaskie top-scoring on 16 as they were bowled-out for 73 in 31.1 overs.
Six Wigton bowlers shared the wickets with Matthew Hodgson (2-12) off ten overs doing best.
