Cumbria County Cricket Club’s season is off to a sweet start, with a 73-run away win over Shropshire in the NCCA NV Play Trophy Group 1, writes Roxine A Beaumont-Sempill.
The victory was thanks in no small part to the contributions of three new signings, two of whom are teenagers.
It was a warm, sunny, still day at Bridgnorth Cricket Club, with high white clouds to challenge any fielders trying to pick out high balls. Shropshire won the toss and elected to field.
It was straight into batting action for new signings Calum Rowe (Carlisle CC) and Tom Fraine (Clifton Alliance CC, former student at Sedbergh School).
The pair are at opposite ends of the experience scale, with 34-year-old Rowe having played 43 games in the championship and 19 One Day Trophy games for Cheshire between 2012 and 2021.
Nineteen-year-old Fraine was making his NCCA debut. They were also a right and left-hand combination, often an advantage.
After several overs a local observed “they are making it look easy!”. To which a reply referred to Liquorice Allsorts bowling: Mr Extras was indeed making a helpful contribution.
The opening pair put on a virtually run-a-ball partnership of 108 off 17 overs before Rowe (41 from 49 balls, 1 X 4) was caught at long on. By then 21 extras had been conceded.
Ben Walkden (Newton-Le-Willows CC) provided a seamless transition into a second strong partnership for Fraine of 81 from 83 balls.
Walkden contributed 33 from 42 balls (3 X 4s) before an attempted cut was edged to the keeper.
Everything seemed to be coming up roses, but then Freddie Fallows (Kendal CC) faced only 2 balls before being caught and bowled.
However, with the support of skipper Michael Slack (Carlisle CC), Fraine advanced his score to 119 (from 117 balls, 18 X 4s) before, echoing Walkden, edging an attempted cut into the keeper’s gloves.
Writer’s curse – yours truly had just consulted the yearbook to see that the highest individual score for Cumbria in the trophy is 143 (Fraine’s brother Will holds the highest individual score record of 235 for Cumbria in the Championship). Fraine left Cumbia in a great position of 221-4 from 36.4 overs.
Matthew Sempill (Cockermouth CC) put in a cameo appearance, adding 5 before a spinner’s delivery crept through to knock off his bails.
Max Winskill (Shaw CC) settled in, forging partnerships of 29 with Slack (who was bowled, having put on 28 off 30, 2 X 4s) and 30 with Drew Postlethwaite (Barrow CC).
Eight runs/11 balls into that partnership there was almost a run out, but fortunately Max was just able to get back as the ball was fumbled.
Winskill (20 off 25, 2 X 4) and Postlethwaite (15 off 15, 1 X 4) were each bowled within 7 balls of each other.
The sting from the tail was an electrifying partnership of 25 off 8 balls between Nico Watt (Carlisle CC, 16 off 8, 1 X 6) and Louis Backhouse (Kendal CC, 16 off 5, 2 X 6). Cumbria finished on 319/8 (50). The county’s second highest one day score, and only the 5th time they have reached 300.
Slack opened the visitor’s bowling account with a maiden. Then, having completed Cumbria’s innings with a 6 and a 2, paceman Backhouse kept up his momentum by taking a key wicket of Joseph Johnson, caught by Calum Rowe at cover.
The hosts then settled into their innings, with a partnership of 52 (off 33) between Harry Chandler and Thomas Fell. This was broken by an athletic caught and bowled by Walky who dived low to his left to dismiss Chandler.
Salop were on 91/2 off 17 overs, not irredeemably far behind where Cumbria had been, at 108/0.
Fell and Andre Bradford looked comfortable, having put on 39 (off 52). The ball was thrown to 18-year-old Ethan Hardie-Knight (Cockermouth CC).
Having travelled south as 12th man, Hardie-Knight had found himself in the team that morning owing to Sam Sharp (Penrith CC) experiencing a back issue.
With his 3rd delivery Hardie-Knight caught and bowled Fell.
Fourth ball of his second over Hardie-Knight struck again, when Fraine caught Theo Wylie at deep midwicket.
Bradford dug in, putting on a 31-run partnership with Roman Walker before Walker skied one towards long-on. Sempill rushed forwards, cap flying off, and pouched it to give his young Cockermouth team-mate his 3rd wicket.
In the 34th over Bradford and Ben Lees looked threatening, scoring 12 runs.
A couple more high-scoring overs, like Cumbria’s 14 and 18 to end their innings, could have deflected Cumbria off Quality Street.
Slack brought Fallows back into the attack. He conceded just 4 singles. Next over the ball was thrown to Rowe, who exactly replicated Fallows’ over: dot, dot, 1, 1, 1, 1. Sometimes Heroes merely have to apply gentle pressure.
Next over Lees went for a single, but Bradford was immobile, ball-watching.
Whereas the run-out opportunity in the first innings was not executed, Winskill, at backwards point, ensured the ball was thrown safely into Fallows’ hands and he whipped the bails off. The spirited partnership of 72 off 60 balls was broken.
This might well have unsettled Bradford who, 8 balls later, was caught on the deep square leg boundary by sub fielder Sharpy (who had had to risk his easing back, owing to Walker having picked up a finger injury).
Three balls later Slack dismissed Matt Simmonds, caught behind by Postlethwaite.
With the score on 228/8 off 42, Hardie-Knight was deployed at the opposite end from his first spell.
First ball Joe Stanley swept straight to Fraine on the square leg boundary. 16 balls later Hardie-Knight achieved his 5-fer, when Ben Roberts was caught by Fallows at long-on. Shropshire were 246/All out (44.5).
Fallows was Cumbria’s most economical bowler (8 overs, 1 maiden, 20 runs, econ 2.50). Let the Celebrations begin, at least for a while.
Cumbria CCC’s upcoming fixtures are also in the One Day Trophy, starting at 11am:
- Monday May 4 v Suffolk at Furness CC
- Sunday May 10 v Cambridgeshire at Exning Park CC
- Sunday May 17 v Cheshire at Keswick CC
