In many ways the top game on Saturday in the Cumbria League Premier Division is the clash between Egremont and Haverigg at Gillfoot.
Egremont are bottom of the table seven points adrift of their closest rivals, Haverigg, so this confrontation is so important to both.
The West Cumbrians have been showing the better form of the two recently, without being able to turn some narrow defeats into victories.
Haverigg, however, know how important it is to grind out a victory in this one as 10 points gained against their main rivals for the drop could be pivotal in six weeks time.
At the top of the table Carlisle still lead Cockermouth by 10 points and the two sides are gearing-up for two crucial games against each other in the next couple of weeks.
They will meet in the final of the Higson Cup on August 18 and then on Bank Holiday Monday square up at Edenside for what could be a title-defining game.
In the meantime both have to keep on winning and Saturday Cockermouth might just have an opportunity to close on their rivals.
They had the tougher game last week at Whitehaven but came through it well while Carlisle were easily disposing of struggling Egremont.
This time Cockermouth have Dalton as visitors to Sandair while Carlisle make the long trek to Furness, the team they pipped to the title last season.
Furness made a slow start to the season but have been in better form of late and in Matthew Kleinveldt have the Division’s top batsmen. He has scored 954 runs so far in 18 innings and has a current average of 79.5. His will be the prize wicket for Carlisle.
Carlisle have been well served by their sub-professionals since Michael Slack’s unfortunate injury and one of them, Daniel Salpietro has been used several times.
Millom pro Nathan Waterston has been rejuvenated since his partner gave birth to their first baby and will be looking to continue his good run of form when his side host Cleator, for whom Rishabh Tiwari has proved such a good appointment.
The Wigton club was delighted that wicket-keeper Matthew Reed had earned his first call-up to the senior Cumbria side for this weekend’s Championship clash with Norfolk.
Reed will be hoping to get his eye in for Wigton when they host a Whitehaven side determined to make amends for last week’s home defeat by Cockermouth.
Workington finally returned to winning ways last week, beating Dalton by 73 runs, and have interesting opposition at the Valentine Ground in Keswick, third in the table but disappointed to lose at home to Millom last week.
