Cockermouth professional Shrikant Mundhe produced a remarkable effort to win a tight game at Workington.
Chasing 145 for victory, Cockermouth had struggled to 134-8 ahead of the final over.
The important factor for the title chasers was that Mundhe was still there after wickets had fallen round him.
So with eleven needed Jack White, Workington’s Australian overseas amateur proceeded to bowl the final over and looked on course to do the job as the first four deliveries produced dot balls.
Then, off the penultimate delivery Mundhe hoisted a huge six against the old Fusion night club’s wall overlooking the ground. It meant it required another six of the final delivery.
That was suitably delivered, just clearing the boundary line by six inches and bouncing into the Gazebo occupied by his team-mates – who were rather pleased.
So a dramatic two wicket win which kept Cockermouth on the heels of leaders Carlisle, with just four points between them.
Workington had set-off very well through opener Jake Daniel (42) and White (35) but from 100-2 they collapsed to 144 all out.
Alex Grainger was the most successful Cockermouth bowler with 4-24.
Gareth White, returning to the side for his first game of the season, went cheaply as did skipper Matthew Sempill. Grainger (26) stayed with Mundhe a while but then Cockermouth slumped to 101-7.
Workington sensed their first win since the first month of the season and were still thinking that way when they took an eighth wicket at 123.
But crucially Mundhe was still there and his big-hitting off the last two balls just carried his side over the line as he finished unbeaten on 69.
Ben Scott was the most successful Workington bowler with 3-20.
Carlisle maintained their lead at the top, but not in such dramatic fashion as they won at home to Dalton by 49 runs under Duckworth Lewis.
They had been put in to bat and really their innings centred around two batsmen – Nico Watt , batting at seven, who hit 64 off 66 deliveries and a much more circumspect knock from acting skipper Ben Davidson with 58.
They batted 42 overs for 206-7 with Mark Hollier taking 3-48 off his eight overs.
Because of the rain intervention Dalton’s target was revised to 164 but when they did finally end early they were on 114-6.
Skipper and opener Joe Braund-Smith batted throughout for 41 not out and professional Kagiso Rapulana chipped-in with 20.
Josh Stirling had the best figures for Carlisle of 2-27.
The big game was between the other two sides in the top four as Keswick hosted Whitehaven. The Fitz Park side won a tight encounter by three wickets to leapfrog their rivals in the table.
Put-in to bat Whitehaven made 156-9 from their 50 overs, really held together by professional Terance Warde with a patient 66 not out. Next best was wicket-keeper Leo Sanczuk with 18 not out.
The wickets were shared around with Matthew Park taking 2-20; Glen Weightman having 2-21 and pro Risith Upamal finishing with 2-22.
Openers Will Atkinson (47) and Stephen Hindmarch (29)
shared in an opening stand of 72, which quickly became 79-3.
But a stand of 60 for the fourth wicket between Upamal (44) and Glen Weightman (22) put them back on track.
However there were some stumbles along the way before they finally got home on 157-7 with 4.2 overs to spare.
For Whitehaven Stephen Holliday took 4-18 and Lewis Keeler had 3-50.
Cleator’s Darren Clark has two brothers who play County Championship cricket, and there are those who think he could have made it too.
He doesn’t play as often these days – he’s building a house – but he showed in the home game against Haverigg just how good he is.
He scored 137 off 111 deliveries, hitting almost a ton in boundaries from 17 fours and five sixes.
Clark dominated an innings in which James Rogers (51) and Ben Wishart (15) were the only other batsmen in double figures.
Cleator finished after 44 overs on 241-6 with Haverigg pro Akshay Chandran taking 3-35.
Haverigg, who had won the home game with Cleator two weeks ago, were bowled out for 140 in 41 overs with Clark (3-22) completing a fine, personal match. Ben Wishart took 4-18 from just six overs.
Wicket-keeper Liam Ford (46) and Zac Mawdsley (30) were the leading batsmen for the visitors.
Millom professional Nathan Waterston is clearly relishing fatherhood. After his partner successfully delivered their first child, a baby girl, he scored a century and on Saturday at home to Wigton he followed-up with 78 from 71 deliveries.
Put-in to bat Millom were bowled-out for 209 in 45.3 overs with Ben High (33) and brother Callum High (30) offering most support to their pro.
Jonathan Pearson (3-24) and John Reed (3-51) were the most successful Wigton bowlers.
Wigton’s reply, however, was a sorry mess bowled-out for 37 in 17.2 overs with only Matthew Reed (19) in double figures as six batsmen failed to trouble the scorer.
Damage was done by Callum High (5-12) and Josh Mackie (3-23), Millom’s two bright young prospects.
The other game proved to be a thriller at Furness where the home side got their revenge for a heavy defeat at Egremont, but only just.
Deciding to bat first Egremont made 190-5 in 45 overs, an innings which was built around a second wicket partnership of 151 between Raghav Kapur (81) and skipper Coady Scott (60).
Furness pro Matthew Kleinveldt had 2-38 from his nine overs.
When the home reply had slumped to 111-8 it looked as though the bottom side were going to collect a double over their Furness opponents.
But enter stage left Garry Thompson who proceeded to lash 62 not out off 44 deliveries, including five fours and four sixes.
He lost Will Mitchell (3) but found a willing ally in Josh Shaw (13no) to steer Furness over the line with one wicket and two balls to spare.
Kapur took 3-28 from his nine overs for Egremont.
