Bottom-of-the-table Egremont produced the performance of the day in the Cumbria League’s Premier Division.
With only win in their first nine games, the Gillfoot side stunned Furness when they rattled up 249-7 in their 50 overs and then bowled-out their visitors for just 51.
It means they have closed the gap to the sides above them and are now just nine points behind Workington and Cleator and only 10 in arrears of Haverigg.
Egremont simply had to start winning or they were in danger of being cut adrift and the side responded against Furness after being put in to bat.
Although they lost Matthew Hunter (2) cheaply, skipper Coady Scott (39) and overseas recruit Raghav Kapur (91no) gave the innings substance with Shaun Bostock hitting a quick-fire 35 lower down the order.
Kapur only faced 100 deliveries and hit nine fours and a six in an innings which certainly boosted morale among the home side, who had not been in a position to defend that sort of total before this season. They were also helped by a remarkable 40 extras – 30 of which were from wides.
Furness, in reply, just never got going and when Scott bowled free-scoring pro Matthew Kleinveldt to make it 9-3 Egremont had the drive to go on and see it through. Only Garry Thompson with 11 batting at nine reached double figures and they collapsed to 51 all out in 21.3 overs.
Scott took 4-23 and Edwin Gribbin had 4-25 with Kapur chipping in with 2-1 from 1.3 overs at the end.
At the top of the table there was frustration for joint leaders Carlisle as the champions’ game at Dalton was abandoned without a ball being bowled. It never stopped raining between noon and 5pm and despite everyone’s best efforts no play was possible.
With Cockermouth beating Workington by three wickets it allowed them to regain their advantage at the top again, albeit only by six points just one game short of the half-way point in the season,.
Workington were put in to bat and were largely indebted to 46 from Thomas Fox, coming in at number six, for them reaching 133 in 33.3 overs.
Josh Brown, recently elevated to the Cumbria senior side, is bursting with confidence and took 5-22 from seven overs with another youngster Ethan Hardie-Knight helping out with 2-16 from nine overs.
Cockermouth didn’t exactly stroll to victory as they lurched to 111-5 and they lost two more wicket before getting over the line, largely due to a watchful 42no from Greg Platten. Youn opener Reagan Scott had made 26.
Australian Jack White (2-22) and Adam Chambers (2-23) were the most successful bowlers for Workington who have now slipped from second top to second bottom.
Match-up of the day was at the Playground where fourth-placed Whitehaven changed places with third-in-the-table Keswick after they beat their Lakes visitors by eight wickets.
Four excellent innings from two players on each side lit up the contest after Keswick won the toss and elected to bat first.
After both openers had gone cheaply and Paul Hindmarch followed for just 12, professional Risith Upamal (57) started the recovery and that was continued by the hard-hitting Glen Weightman who is in a great run of form with the bat. It was a knock that deserved a century but he went for 96 at a run-a-ball, hitting 12 fours and four sixes.
James McGown then joined the action with a quickfire 38 and at the end of their 50 overs Keswick had reached 228-7. Thomspon took 2-41 and Whitehaven pro Terance Warde had 2-33.
The dangerous Chase Young was dismissed by Weightman for 20 but then young Nathan Carmichael (89) and Warde (90no) put on 157 for the second wicket and with just less than ten overs left Whitehaven needing just 32 for victory.
Warde and skipper Stephen Holliday (10no) were able to see the home side through to the win with 4.3 overs to spare. Weightman took both the wickets to fall for 47.
Big match at the bottom was at Haverigg where the hosts took on bottom four rivals Cleator and came out of it with a comfortable victory.
Haverigg chose to bat first when they won the toss and in an innings reduced to 48 overs they made 207-8 with solid contributions from Zac Mawdsley (46), Dale Graham (38), Akshay Chandran (36) and Robbie Efvans (31). Veteran Ian Clark took 3-38 for Cleator.
Professional Rishabh Tiwari (53 off 34 deliveries) opened brightly for Cleator but there was little support after he’d gone apart from Tom Sharpe (27) as the visitors fell away to 126 all out in 29.4 overs. Young Mawdsley capped a fine game by taking 4-36 while Chandran had 3-12.
In the other game Millom won a thriller at Wigton, getting home by four wickets off the second ball of the final over.
Wigton chose to bat after winning the toss and largely through the contributions of opener Kieran Little (63) and professional Chris Hodgson (57) as well as the generous contribution of 22 wides from the Millom bowlers, they reached 180 all out in 45.1 overs.
Braith Connor (4-29) and 16-year-old Josh Mackie (4-18) bowled particularly well for Millom.
Mackie, who was on the Cumbria tour to Sri Lanka earlier in the year, made a fine 49, too, to cap a fine personal performance. But it was sub pro Ayana Siriwardhana, who hung around for a vital 41, that probably won the game with assistance from another talented youngster in Callum High (29).
Although half the side went for 142 they were able to negotiate the closing stages for a tense win in the final over. Hodgson took 3-20 for Wigton.
The quarter finals of the Higson Cup are due to be played this afternoon.
Holders Cockermouth, who lead the Premier Division, entertain Dalton at Sandair while their nearest rivals in the League, Carlisle, travel to Cleator.
Keswick host Millom while Workington meet Furness at the Valentine Ground.
