Cumbria suffers double defeat to Northumberland

In their first brace of matches in this year’s National Counties Cricket Association Dojo T20 competition, Cumbria County Cricket Club suffered two losses to Northumberland at Allendale CC, writes Roxine A Beaumont-Sempill.

However, they are by no means out of the competition.

The weather forecasts had suggested rain, rain and more rain. However, the only participants in the matches to get wet were several match balls which sailed over the boundary and were last seen floating down the River East Allen towards the Tyne and eventually the North Sea.

For much of the day low clouds settled overhead, but occasionally they cleared to bathe the ground in sunshine.

For the first match Cumbria won the toss and elected to field, which seemed like a good decision when opening bowlers Sam Sharp (Penrith CC) and Louis Backhouse (Kendal CC) contained the opening batters to just 3 runs from the first 2 overs.

First ball 3rd over the dangerous Alasdair Appleby was dropped on the square leg boundary and, to add insult to injury, the ball went for a four.

Another boundary, a single and a dot followed before Sharp removed the bails of Ross Whitfield for an 8-ball duck.

Ramping up the regret register, Appleby hit his straps, scoring a further 3 boundaries and a single before creating another catching opportunity off the bowling of Ben Walkden (Newton-le-Willows CC).

Tom Fraine (Clifton Alliance CC) ran in several yards from the square leg boundary, keeping his eyes on the swirling white ball against the white clouds. Ignoring the advancing figure of a close fielder, he safely pouched it to leave the hosts on 25/2 from 4.3 overs.

Two overs later keeper Sam Bates (Workington CC) also had to pick out a lofted ball against the clouds to dismiss Robbie Bowman.

Eleven balls later Bates took a second catch, this time low to the ground, to send Ross Greenwell back to the hutch, and give Walkden his third.

The hosts were only able to score 5 singles off the next 17 balls before Harry Crawshaw hit a Calum Rowe (Carlisle CC) delivery high in the air and into the safe hands of Backhouse at long off. 54/5 off 11.2.

John Oswell and Jonny Bushnell established the highest partnership of the innings (48 off 31) before Sharp came back into the attack and got Oswell (32 from 34) trapped lbw.

In a classic T20 finishing flourish Bushnell and Sean Tindale put on another 47 from only 21 balls to take the hosts to a still seemingly under par 149/6 from their 20 overs.

Bushnell was the highest scorer (50 from 25, 4 X 4s, 3 X 6s, strike rate 200.00). Walkden took the most wickets (4 overs, 3 for 18, economy 4.50).

Rowe’s economy rate from his two overs was an incredible 1.50.

The hopes of Cumbria fans were raised when opening bat Freddie Fallows (Kendal CC) started in mature fashion, scoring only 2 singles from the first legitimate 5 balls he faced before casually swatting a 6 over the midwicket boundary.

Sadly 3 balls later he was bowled by Tindale.

Last ball of 5th over opener Rowe was caught at long on.

However, the chase was roughly on track, with Cumbria on 27/2, compared with Northumberland’s 31/2. By the halfway point Cumbria were on 59/2, ahead of where the hosts had been on 50/4.

Unfortunately, the established pair of Fraine and Walkden, who had put on an exactly run a ball partnership of 32, were both dismissed by Joseph Stuart in the 11th over:

Walkden caught on the long on boundary and Fraine at deep midwicket. In his next 2 overs Stuart also saw off Matthew Sempill (Cockermouth CC, caught short third man) and Max Winskill (Shaw CC, caught long on).

Even these losses put the visitors on 93/6 off 15.3, which compared favourably with the hosts 84/5 at the same point.

Sadly, the rest of the Sausages were unable to emulate the back-end partnerships of the hosts and Cumbria lost by 22 runs.

Fraine and Winskill were joint top scorers on 23 (off 23 and 18 balls respectively). Stuart was the best bowler (4 overs, 4 for 21, economy 5.25).

Cumbria also won the toss before the second match, and this time elected to bat.

At 53 from 7.4 overs, openers Fallows and Rowe looked comfortable, but then the latter was caught at long on. Four balls later a ball stopped in the pitch, catching Fraine by surprise and sending the ball vertically, to drop into the hands of bowler Matthew Oswell.

Two balls later Fallows’ ‘oh no!’ heralded another catch at long off. Sempill and Walkden settled into a partnership of 49 from 42, before the latter was caught at long off. Winskill and Stan McAlindon (Tynemouth CC, unable to bowl because of an injury) each scored at a good rate (161.54 and 260) to help their captain to a seemingly decent score of 156/5.

Following his 8-ball duck in the first match, Ross Whitfield showed what he is made of in the second: 67 from 31 balls in 40 minutes, 6 X 4s, 5 X 6s, strike rate of 216.13.

The third wicket partnership of 61 between Whitfield and Bowman took only 34 balls until it was ended when Walky caught and bowled the batting hero of the day.

Walkden had the best bowling figures (4 overs, 2 for 14, economy 3.50). Northumberland won by 4 wickets, with 11 balls to spare. At least 11 balls probably went in the river, most from the 22 sixes of the day.

Despite these losses, other results across this and the previous week (when Cumbria had their rest day) mean that Cumbria could still qualify.