Top match in the Cumbria League’s Premier Division brings together third and fourth in the table – two sides who did not figure in the final top four last season.
It’s a sign of changing times as third-in-the-table Keswick visit the Playground to take on Whitehaven who are two points behind in fourth. Last season Keswick finished sixth and Whitehaven were eighth.
Keswick shocked champions Carlisle in the first match of the season but suffered defeat to Cockermouth as well as a surprise loss to the improving Wigton while Whitehaven’s promising start to the campaign has been blotted by defeats to the top two.
Cockermouth and Carlisle share top spot and have games they will expect to win – with Workington making the trip to Sandair and the champions travelling to south Cumbria to take-on Dalton.
Workington finished fourth last season and their collapse this year, after a two-match winning start, has been a surprise as they have lost six of their last seven League games, although two victories in the T20 competition have brightened the mood.
Newly promoted Dalton made a confident start at the higher level but results more recently have not been as impressive and it will be a tough test taking on the champions.
Furness were another side from last season’s top four who made a faltering start to the new campaign but their recent form, helped by the consistent excellence of new pro Matthew Kleinveldt, has seen them climb to sixth in the table.
On Saturday they travel to Egremont, the bottom side, who simply have to start winning or they will be cut adrift and booked for Division One which would be a major disappointment after they battled to ninth last season.
Wigton have been showing recently that they can take on anybody and give them a game, in both formats, but will be kicking themselves for letting Furness off the hook last week. A brilliant innings from Kleinveldt rescued the south Cumbrians after they had lost half the side for very little.
Millom are the visitors to Lowmoor Road and they trail their hosts by eight points as they sit third bottom, still having to look over their shoulders at Haverigg and Egremont below them.
Haverigg are 10 points better off than Egremont and will see their home clash with Cleator as winnable, which will very much the view of the visitors, equally like-minded on their win prospects, as they travel south.
