In an entertaining game at Keswick, the Cumbria Development side lost to an Indian touring side.
It was a more experienced visiting team than Cumbria played last year, while the home side was younger than that which played the equivalent fixture last year and won at Westhoughton.
This time the Vengsarkar Cricket Academy won in the end by 67 runs in the 50 over match at Fitz Park.
Right from the start it was clear that the visitors, with six players from Mumbai and six from Hyderabad, looked a good side.
Aged from 14 to 19, two of their party already see themselves as pro cricketers and are staying out here to play league cricket after the others return to India.
Dilip Vengsarkar was a leading Indian Test cricketer in the 70s and 80s and is clearly running a strong academy.
They have played five games last week with Friday’s game being the last of five this week to complete a hectic schedule of cricket for the young future stars.
Against Cumbria the touring side scored their runs quickly, mixing big shots with excellent running between the wickets. They were clearly good players of spin and set the Cumbria Development Team a hard target of 280 to win.
Josh Foster (Whitehaven) took two early wickets and Gabriel Drimmie (Cockermouth) ended up with 4/37 from 6.3 overs
The Cumbria reply was always behind the rate after losing three wickets for 27 runs against the Academy’s opening bowlers’ initial 12 overs.
Kian Larmour (Whitehaven) top scored with 58 from 96 balls, and he and Whitehaven team-mate Foster put on 69 for the fourth wicket.
Thereafter wickets fell steadily until late hitting by Billy Thompson of Whitehaven (40no) and Lucas Murphy (Clitheroe) resulted in an unbeaten 71 run partnership adding some respectability to the reply as the intensity dropped off.
It is hoped that the fixture will be repeated next year after one win apiece for the two teams so far.
