If there is such a thing as a standard weekend in Cumbrian cricket, then this might well be it, as all the top three teams record straightforward victories, writes Ashley Tiffen.
Top of the table, Furness, entertained bottom club, Egremont with the visitors winning the toss and electing to bat.
However, apart from a competent display by Taran Marwah with 81 from 111 balls, his fellow batsmen recorded only 32 between them, a combined score equalling the extras total, as they were all out for 145 in 38.2 overs.
Samson Storey with 3 for a miserly 4 runs from his 5 overs inflicted the damage, aided and abetted by Dominic Hendricks with two for a rather more generous 19.
In reply, the league leaders coasted to victory led by opener Lewis Gribben with 66 from only 70 balls with Storey capping a fine day for him as he made 32 from 33 balls as they set the foundations with 77 for the first wicket.
The target was reached in only 28 overs with 3 wickets lost, with Egremont’s Lewis Gribbin grabbing 2 of the wickets to fall as his side took a single bonus point.
Second placed Keswick, meanwhile, travelled to Wigton and were to have an easier ride dismissing the home side of 76 in 35.1 overs. Christopher Hodgson with a patient 29 and Jonathan Pearson with 21, were the only home batsmen to trouble the Keswick bowlers.
For the visitors, James McGown with 4 wickets for 11 off 7 overs, and Glen Weightman taking 3 for 16 in his 8 overs, spearheaded the rout.
Keswick may be disappointed to have lost 4 wickets in achieving the target of 82 with professional Raveen Yaaas completing the innings with a six to bring his total to 42.
Skipper Christopher Hodgson with 2 wickets for 17 from his 10 overs will have taken little pleasure in his days performance with his side restricted to 2 bonus points, while Glen Liddle took the other 2 wickets to fall.
Meanwhile The Raymond Denham Cricket Oval basked in warm sunshine although, “it’s chilly when the sun goes in” was heard more than once on the boundary, and it was also nice to see a number of Millom supporters making the journey north to see if their team could complete the double on the title chasing home team, with their hopes buoyed after their narrow win against leaders Furness last week.
Matthew Sempill once again proved a master at the toss and as expected, elected to bat. In a slightly changed line up due to holiday commitments, Reegan Scott and Frazer Sealby, making his season debut in the first XI, opened the batting with both back in the pavilion with 25 on the board.
Opening bowler, Paul O’Callaghan was in no mood to be generous as he bowled 8 overs for 14 runs without reward.
But with the skipper and professional Shrikant Mundhe at the crease, much was expected of the inform pair.
Sempill had a early scare when he was dropped when on 2 by Connor who held a very sharp chance with 2 hands only to see the ball escape as his elbow hit the ground. However, this was not to prove costly, as the skipper was to fall adding only 14 runs leaving the home side on 76 for 3.
This brought club stalwart, Gareth White, to the crease and while he rode his luck in the early stages, he battled through the Millom onslaught to eventually break free and made a very enjoyable 66 from 77.
But the Cockermouth innings, not for the first time, rested with professional Mundhe as he continued his good form to patiently build his innings. He was gifted his 50 when a single was returned evading 3 Millom fielders to become 5, reaching a deserved and faultless century in the 48th over.
The Cockermouth innings closed on 241 for 3 with Mundhe finishing with 105, his highest score of the season so far and taking his season average to 99.25.
Apart from O’Callaghan’s frugality, Zak Mawdsley, the youngster who plays for Durham seconds, took two wickets conceding 60 runs in the process.
In reply, after a maiden over by Josua Brown, Shrikant Mundhe struck gold with his first ball as he uprooted the off stump of the usually dependable Nathan Waterson.
It was clear that unless someone was to break out, the target would probably be beyond Millom and this was reinforced when second change, left hand slow bowler, Ethan Hardie-Knight came on and bowled immaculately to take 4 wickets for 24 in his 10 overs including Lachlan Wilson (16) and Declan Tyson (10) both to regulation catches by Joshua Brown at mid on.
Zak Mawdsley (22) briefly held up Cockermouth’s progress until he fell to a smart catch by stand in wicket keeper Greg Platten, off the bowling of spinner Reegan Scott. Platten took a second scalp when Robert Thompson walked up the track to a ball Gareth White pushed through to be stumped well out of his ground.
Millom Skipper Graham Dawson made a nuisance with a patient half century before falling to a catch by skipper Sempill for White’s second wicket with the score on 168 for 7 in the 48th over.
O’Callaghan gave the travelling support some late cheer as he smashed 16 from 7 balls with 14 coming from Mundhe’s final over. Connor smashed a 6 in the final over before falling next ball to a second catch by skipper Sempill from a solitary over from Ben King.
The innings ended with the visitors on 197 for 9 to hand Cockermouth revenge for their defeat earlier in the season, and a 44 run win.
In addition to Ethan Hardie-Knight’s fine performance with the ball, Gareth White made it another day to remember in the twilight of his career with 2 for 24 from 7 overs.
Whitehaven made the short journey up the coast to be put into bat by a Workington hoping to reverse their recent poor form.
And that reversal was evident as they had the visitors all out for 81 runs in 36.1 overs. With, none of the Whitehaven batsmen causing concerns for the home attack, stalwart Simon Beare picked up 3 wickets for 20 runs in 7 overs, Ben Scott took 2 for 15 in 7.1 overs with Grant Reid taking 2 for 21.
In reply, the home side lost 5 wickets with opener Hamish James hitting 23 in 22 balls and Sam Bates also in a hurry with 17 off 14 balls before Beare was to bring Workington home with a patient 17 as they reached 82 off 22 overs.
Jonathan Stewart (2 for 12) and Billy Thompson (2 for 31) were the pick of the bowlers as the home side now find themselves within 2 points of their near neighbours.
In the final fixture of the day, Cleator travelled down to Dalton and it was the home side who took the spoils. Cleator batted first and completed their 50 overs on 172 for 8 in their 50 overs, with Dilan Jayalath hitting 62 and skipper Douglas Hughes bagging 32 not out.
For Dalton, Lewis Woodend took 4 for 35 in his 10 overs with Joss Edwards taking 3 for 17 in his 10. Dalton opener Daniel Sharpe carried his bat for 90 and while he regularly lost partners, Phil Humphries was able to help see them across the line with his 21 not out as they reached their target in 42.3 overs.
Jamie Martin was the pick of the Cleator bowlers with 3 for 37.
With all the three leading sides recording regulation victories, nothing changes at the top of the table as Furness lead with 96 points, one ahead of Keswick with Cockermouth a further 2 points behind.
Next week, Furness are at home to Workington, Keswick travel to Millom and Cockermouth are at home to Wigton.
Egremont host Dalton and Cleator travel to Whitehaven with all matches starting at 1pm.
On Sunday August 3, Millom will have the chance of revenge against today’s victors Cockermouth as they meet in the final of the Higson Cup. The match is to be played at Whitehaven with another 1pm start.
