Whitehaven finally saw their new professional in action and it was quite an eye-catching debut.
Kevin Perera’s arrival at the Playground had been delayed for over a month, but he wasted little time in showing what he is about.
The Sri Lankan came in at three after Kian Larmour (49) and Stephen Holliday (38) had given their side a fine start bat home to Carlisle 2nds in the Higson Cup.
He only faced 70 balls but hit 97 which included seven fours and four sixes.
With further quick runs down the order from Nathan Carmichael (37no) and Adam Brown (28) they reached 289-6 in 44 overs.
Overseas amateur David Rhoda (2-49) and Findley Fortescue (2-52) stuck at it well for Carlisle.
In fact the Edenside second string put up a decent effort in response, reaching 228-8 in their 44 overs.
There were runs from Logan Edgar (63), Freddie Newton (57), Oliver Spedding (45) and Rhoda (34).
Holliday was the most successful Whitehaven bowler with 5-34 from his nine overs.
Also through to the semi-final are Workington who picked-up a seven wicket win at Cleator.
The home side opted to bat first and looked to be going nicely at 78-2 when Matty Lowden had pro Dilan Jayalath caught at cover by Vishva Chathuranga for 20.
After that Cleator, who were short of one or to senior players, limped to 120 all out.
Lowden (3-24) was the most successful with Chathuranga bowling an exceptionally tight spell of 1-11 from nine overs.
Workington got off to the worst possible start as they lost both skipper Jake Daniel and Chathuranga in the second over from Ethan Messenger, leaving them 1-2.
But then Sam Bates, as if celebrating his recall to the County side, put on 112 with Ollie Armstrong to take Workington within sight of victory.
They reached 121-3 off 30 overs with Armstrong (33no).
Bates with three fours and four sixes in an impressive knock of 63.
Messenger took 2-25 from his seven overs.
Millom made a decent recovery at Cockermouth but still went under by 12 runs in the end.
After losing Reegan Scott cheaply the Cockermouth innings was given lift-off by Alex Grainger (59) and Matty Sempill (46) who put on 112 for the second wicket.
Ryan Carruthers than added 32 but when Sempill went at 169-5 the home side lost their last five wickets for the addition of only 18 runs.
They closed on 197 off 36.5 overs with Louis Sumner (3-30) and Oliver Mackie (3-31) the leading Millom bowlers.
Rain interruption meant that Millom had a revised target of 170 from 40 overs but lost half the side for 105.
Pro Nathan Waterston (20) had gone at 43-4 and it was really down to the experienced skipper Graham Dawson that they got as close as they did.
He was last out for 55 off 69 deliveries, striking five fours and four sixes.
He had got his side to within two maximum boundary hits of victory with 3.2 overs still left.
Ethan Hardie Knighht took 4-29 for Cockermouth off eight overs.
Wigton’s recent winning run was ended by Furness at Lowmoor Road where the visitors reached the semi-final with victory by six wickets.
Electing to bat first Wigton made 153-8 in their 45 overs, an innings built around a solid 68 by opener George Johnston.
Only two other batsmen – Sam Murdock (26) and Mikey Thomlinson (20) – reached double figures.
Veteran Furness skipper Peter Lawson took 3-24 and Samson Storey had 3-33.
Furness were always going well, eventually reaching 157-4 off 31.4 overs.
Harrison Thomson (45), Ryan Griffiths (41no) and pro Pramod Maduwantha (33no) were the main Furness contributors.
