As we head into the sharp end of the season, runs were hard to come by unless you were at Keswick, but for thrills, the league leaders being pushed to the wire, takes some beating, writes Ashley Tiffen.
Top of the table Furness travelled with much hope, up the A590 to neighbours Dalton who are having an up and down season so far.
The visitors won the toss and decided to bat and while they were able to preserve wickets, runs were difficult to come by as they reached 170 for 4 in their 50m overs with Samson Storey (53) and Dominic Hendricks (43) leading the way with Gareth Smith chipping in with 27 from 26 balls at the death including a 6 from the last ball, a strike that, ultimately, was to be decisive.
For the home side, professional Lahiru Dilshan took 2 for 18 from his 20 overs.
In reply, Dalton were not going down without a fight and despite losing opener Daniel Sharpe for a duck with the score on 6. Wickets fell regularly but runs came with Rob Jones with 18, and Dilshan making 46, it was left to a steady knock from Joss Edwards and a swashbuckling knock from Phil Humphries to have Furness nerves jangling.
Humphries fell for 30 from 27 balls with 16 left to get in 14 balls and while Edwards went on to make 26, he fell second last ball leaving Dalton tantalisingly close missing out by 4 runs.
For Furness, Samson Storey and Garry Thompson took 2 wickets each.
Meanwhile at Fitz Park, Keswick, the bank holiday crowd were treated to a special batting display as the home side tore into bottom club, Egremont’s attack with a vengeance at over 7 runs an over.
All the top order made an impact with openers Will Atkinson (41 from 34 balls) and Stephen Hindmarch (36 from a more sedate 62 balls) put on 72 for the first wicket, reaching 116 when Hindmarch departed. By then professional Raveen Yasas was just getting into his stride as he built a partnership with skipper Paul Hindmarch of 124.
Hindmarch fell 4 short of a century for his highest score of the season so far while the professional broke the 3 figure barrier making his first century of the season ending on 105 from 104 balls.
Glen Weightman was last wicket to fall on the last ball for 23 off 20 balls to leave Egremont feeling like they had to climb Skiddaw to get anything from this game.
Their cause was not helped by losing opener Jack Hodgson for a duck third ball, caught Arran Davies from Scott McGown with the bowler taking the scalp of Egremont professional Taran Marwah, next ball.
However, despite having little chance of reaching such a daunting total, Egremont’s Coady Scott showed his metal by hitting a patient 50 aided by his skipper who made 25 before being bowled by home skipper Paul Hindmarch.
The innings drifted to the inevitable conclusion as Egremont were all out for 116 in 35 overs and it is looking increasingly likely they will hold the wooden spoon come the end of the season.
At Workington, the home side won the toss and elected to bat against third place Cockermouth and were to find runs hard to come by against a determined visitor attack. Opener Hamish James (25) and Adam Chambers (20) were the only batsmen to scratch out 20 or more as Cockermouth skipper Matthew Sempill bowled his 10 overs only conceding 12 runs and taking the wicket of Jake Daniel, Lbw for 4.
But, not for the first time this season, it was Ethan Hardie-Knight who took the plaudits taking 5 wickets for 33 from his 10 overs, his 5th ‘fifer’ of the season as the home side were all out for 135 in 46 overs.
In reply, after a sparkling 23 from 21 balls from up and coming opener, Reegan Scott, who was 2nd wicket down with only 30 on the board, it was left to skipper Sempill and the evergreen Gareth White, playing alongside his son Cameron, making his 1st team debut as wicket keeper, to set the visitors on the road to victory.
Sempill fell for 60 with the scoreboard on 109, but White now establishing himself as a middle order saw the visitors home with 35 reaching the target in only 22.3 balls.
For the home side, Matthew Lowden, Ben Scott and Regan Jackson took one wicket each.
Whitehaven travelled to Wigton where the home side won the toss and elected to bat but after a promising start with openers George Johnston (24) and Kieran Little (30) making 60 foir the 1st wicket, the remainder were unable to keep up the momentum as Wigton tumbled to 118 all out in 44.4 overs.
Terence Warde took 3 for 13 from his 10 overs with Lewis Keeler taking 2 wickets with one apiece for Josh Foster, Billy Thompson, Jonathan Stewart and Stephen Holliday.
However, the visitor’s innings started inauspiciously losing 2 early wickets before Warde and Foster took charge and saw the visitors take the 10 points with Foster reaching his 4th 50 of the season (51 not out) and Warde making 48 not out in 29.5 overs.
In the final fixture, Cleator entertained Millom and, winning the toss the home side asked the visitors to bat but then saw themselves on the wrong side of 235 for 8 at tea with Graham Dawson leading the way with an unbeaten 65.
For the home side, there were 2 wickets each for Douglas Hughes, Ben Wishart and Steven Lee.
In response, the home side could only make 131 for 9 wickets in 41.5 overs with 37 from Dilan Jayalath and 40 from Ben Wishart being the highlights. Three wickets for Paul O’Callaghan and 3 for man of the match, Graham Dawson saw the visitors to a 10 point haul.
So, at the top, it’s no change with Furness on 136, are 8 ahead of today’s champagne team, Keswick, with Cockermouth a further 2 points away.
Next week sees league leaders Furness in a mouthwatering fixture at home against second placed and an in form Keswick, with a win for the home side will leave them with one hand firmly on the trophy, while 3rd placed Cockermouth are at home to Dalton.
Whitehaven travel to Millom, Workington are at home to Wigton and Egremont make the short hop to Cleator. All matches start at 1.00pm.
