Cumbria’s great run in the NCCA Trophy competition is under threat following a group defeat to Northumberland yesterday.
The county has reached the final for the last four years, losing to Berkshire each time, but it’s going to the wire this time qhether they qualify from the group.
They will need to beat Lincolnshire away on Sunday and hope they have a better run rate than the losers of the other group game between Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.
Sunday’s game had been switched on the morning from Kendal to Furness because of pitch conditions and it was no surprise that Cumbria were invited to bat first.
Debutant Will Fraine made 20 off 22 deliveries but at 60-8 Cumbria were in all sorts of trouble and it needed a stand of 73 for the ninth wicket to give the host county some sort of total to defend. Nico Watt (43) and Ed Moulton (21no) were the men responsible.
But when Watt departed Sam Sharp (3) did not stay long and the innings closed on 138 with Callum Fletcher (4-24) the leading bowler for Northumberland.
There was an early success for Cumbria when Sharp had Alasdair Appleby trapped leg before for a duck but Ross Whitfield (55) and John Oswell (23) moved the visitors on and after both had gone, they only needed 30 for victory.
In fact when rain ended play at 116-3 off 27.4 overs they were confirmed as winners under Duckworth Lewis as a revised target of 69 had already been achieved.
Now it’s all down to Sunday when Cumbria will be praying for good weather for both games to go ahead – a rain-off in either will signal the end of Cumbria’s hopes.
