A record batting partnership between two players from Cockermouth Cricket Club, preceded by a 5-fer from an ex-Cockermouth player, helped Cumbria to their first win in this year’s National Counties One Day Trophy campaign, writes Roxine Beaumont-Sempill.
Nestled in the Chilterns valley, the pitch at Dunstable was picturesque. The ground was hard and dry, more like August than early May. Low clouds, some grey, intensified during the match. A very cool, extremely brisk breeze blew across the pitch towards the clubhouse.
When the sun occasionally broke through it was pleasantly warm in one slightly elevated and sheltered area by the trees. Bizarrely, a bit of moisture in the air made it feel like it should have been muggy, even though it was cold.
Cumbria won the toss and elected to field.
Making a very welcome return to the squad, pace bowler Chris Wright (Leicestershire) opened the bowling down the slope from the relatively sheltered end. He conceded just two singles and one 2 in his first 2 overs.
By contrast, toiling up the slope, in the full force of the side wind, and with the bizarre heaviness in the air Ed Moulton (Chorley) struggled to control his swing deliveries and conceded 8 wides in the 30 runs scored in his 2 overs.
Whilst Wright continued to concentrate the batsmen’s (wicket keeper’s and slippers’…) minds with his rapid, swinging deliveries, Sam Sharp (Kendal) took over from Moulton. His first over conceded 6. Then in his second over he dismissed both Oli Soames (6, lbw) and Harry Gouldstone (0, bowled) for just 1 leg bye.
Two overs late Sharp sent Jake Tarling (23) back to the hutch, caught behind by his Kendal keeper teammate Finlay Richardson.
By the time that Skipper Michael Slack (Carlisle) took over from Wright, Cumbria had pegged back the run rate to less than 4 an over (45/3 off 12 overs).
Over the course of the next 18 overs Jamie Dunk and George Thurstance put on the partnership of the innings, 83 off 118 balls.
With the first ball of the 30th over, left-arm spinner Freddie Fallows (Kendal) tempted 19-year-old Dunk (34) to slam (pun intended!) one towards the long on boundary where it was pouched by Matthew Sempill (Cockermouth).
The experienced Thurstance then nurtured a second significant partnership of 64 off 76 balls, with 20-year-old Nabil Moughal, before the latter was caught by Fallows at mid-wicket off Sharp. Two overs later, Sharp trapped Thurstance (89 off 119) lbw to secure his 5-fer.
Last ball 46th over came the catch of the match when Slack, on the long off boundary, leapt up like a salmon to palm the ball up and catch it inside the boundary to dismiss Archie Houghton off Fallows.
Two overs later Patrick Harrington (37 off 21) was caught at cover by Nico Watt (Carlisle) to give Freddie his third wicket.
On the last ball of the innings Sharp ran out Joe Lowe (17 off 10). Every wicket taken involved at least one of the Kendal players. Sharp’s figures were 10 overs, 3 maidens, 51 runs, 5 wickets.
260 to win seemed achievable, unless one considered that Cumbria had never scored more than 200 against Bedfordshire in a one-day match.
Openers Fallows and Ben Walkden (Newton-le-Willows) got off to a strong start, at 22/0 off 3 overs before Fallows (17 off 11) holed out to Houghton at mid-off, off Oscar Phillips.
Walkden (14 off 28), Evan Williams (Horwich RMI CC, 26 off 42) and Slack (5 off 7) had advance the score to 68/4 off 15.1 overs by the time Greg Platten joined his Cockermouth teammate at the crease.
At the drinks break the hosts had been 107/3, the visitors were on 105/4. Sempill began to really open up in the 37th over, scoring 3 consecutive boundaries. A local supporter was heard to observe of the fielding side “I think they are running out of ideas”.
Five overs later Sempill launched a 6 to hit a bench in front of the clubhouse, followed by a straight 6 towards the road, which disappeared into, or through, the hedge. New ball please!
In the 46th over Sempill nudged a single to the off side to reach his century. Then 2 balls later he launched a 6 towards the clubhouse.
Coach Paul Hindmarch (Keswick CC), who had earlier taken to the field whilst Platten nursed a palm injury, attempted to catch it…. but failed. Cue much hilarity from teammates.
With the scores equal Sempill was out, strangled down the leg side. His figures were 112 off 107 balls, 14 X 4s, 3 X 6s, strike rate 104.67. Having already contributed 63 to the magnificent, Cumbrian one-day record-breaking partnership of 191 off 192 balls, Platten sealed the victory with a 4.
In the gathering gloom, some Bedfordshire players had been putting hands in pockets, and into their sleeveless slipovers to try to warm up their hands. Supporters had been swaddled in coats and blankets. Nothing better embodied Dunstable’s nickname of ‘Little Siberia’!
Cumbria returns to Dunstable at the end of July for a three-day match.
Cumbria’s upcoming fixtures are in the One Day Trophy, starting at 11am:
- Sunday May 11 v Cambridgeshire at Kendal CC
- Sunday May 18 v Lincolnshire at Furness CC
