Cumbria County Cricket Club’s quarter final match was in jeopardy until a substantial partnership for the sixth wicket, involving the returning club captain, all but secured victory in the NCCA NV Play Trophy, writes Roxine A Beaumont-Sempill.
The weather forecasts leading up to the match were dire: up to 95% risk of rain.
However, as the day began it was dry with high white clouds and occasional glimpses of the sun. A stiff breeze swirled around the ‘Edenside Bowl’, largely coming from the riverside.
Cumbria’s captain Michael Slack (Carlisle CC), returning to the side for the first time since the first match of the season, won the toss and elected to field.
That decision seemed to be more than vindicated as Staffordshire openers Samuel Kelsall and Tom Moulton were restricted to 4 runs from the first 5 overs, thanks to the bowling of Sam Sharp (Penrith CC) and Louis Backhouse (Kendal CC), backed up by committed fielding.
Gradually, the openers eased into the innings. Cumbria missed two opportunities to break up the opening partnership: a very difficult high, swirling catching opportunity at mid-wicket in the 14th over and a missed run out opportunity when the ball was thrown to the wrong end in the 18th over.
The openers garnered a partnership of 73 from 123 balls before Freddie Fallows (Kendal CC) bowled Kelsall (38 runs from 73 balls, 4 X 4s, 1 X 6) with the 3rd ball of the 21st over.
This brought captain James Kettleborough to the crease: the leading run scorer in the NCCA trophy this season at that point, having scored 287 (50 or so more than any other player in the competition).
Kettleborough scored a single from the first ball he faced. Next over he blocked or left three balls before being trapped lbw by Ben Walkden (Newton-le-Willows CC).
Unbelievably, the two other most prolific Staffordshire batsmen in the trophy this year also fell to Walkden: Dan Lincoln (2 from 13) was bowled and Ollie Walker (10 from 21) caught behind by keeper Sam Bates (Workington CC).
The latter was dismissed while Walkden was possibly smarting from the 4 byes conceded from the previous ball. 94/4 from 29.2 overs.
Bates was in catching action again seven overs later, to help Sharp send Matthew Morris back to the hutch.
Moulton had batted resolutely, as partners came and went. But then came three clean bowled dismissals by Backhouse: Moulton (46 from 95 balls, 3 X 4s) in the 40th over, Callum Hawkins in the 42nd over and Callum Leese in the 44th over.
The cherry on the top came next ball when Tom Brett was caught behind, to put Backhouse on a hat-trick. Jake Garlick took guard then, anticlimactically, left the next ball.
Six balls later Sam Keeling-Wright was stumped off the bowling of Fallows.
This gave Bates a record-equalling 4 dismissals (3 catches, 1 stumping) by a Cumbria keeper in the One Day Trophy.
Backhouse was the top wicket-taker for Cumbria (9 overs, 3 maidens, 4 for 24, economy 2.67). Freddie was the most economical bowler (9.3 overs, 2 maidens, 2 for 17, economy 1.79).
Facing a relatively modest target of 139 to win, Cumbria faced the age-old dilemma in such situations: whether to ‘stick or twist’.
They elected for a bit of both, sending in spring and autumn openers Fallows and Calum Rowe (Carlisle CC). The latter had demonstrated his stickability just the day before, for Carlisle at Edenside, creating (with Slack) a 203-run partnership to take their team from 7/2 to 210/3.
The overriding potential complication for Cumbria Cumbria Club was the weather. As they started their innings the greatest predicted period of rain was imminent.
That meant that the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method (to calculate a fair target/par score for the team batting second, when a match is interrupted by weather) might come into play.
In that situation it is vital to keep ahead of the scoring rate (a modest 2.78 per over at the start of the innings) and minimise loss of wickets (which drastically increases the DLS par score).
Halfway through the third over the hosts were on track when Rowe edged to the keeper. Exactly 3 overs later Tom Fraine (Clifton Alliance CC) fell the same way. After a useful, measured start Fallows (17 from 19 balls, 2 X 4s) holed out to midwicket.
At that point the DLS par score was punishing. Whereas at the end of their first 7 overs Staffs had scored 14/0, Cumbria were on 25/3. However, taking into account the fall of wickets, the DLS par score was 44.
In the same vein it continued. Walkden was bowled in the 9th over, Matthew Sempill (Cockermouth CC) caught by first slip in the 11th.
Neither got into double figures. 32/4 off 10.1 overs. Then began the partnership of the match, between Slack and Max Winskill (Shaw CC).
The duo started very carefully, with 11 dot balls. By the drinks break, after 25 overs, the hosts were on 60/5.
At the equivalent point the visitors had been on 80/2. The DLS par score was 85. Fortunately, the break did not have its common effect, and (after a pep talk from coach Paul Hindmarch) the stalwart pair continued.
In the 29th over Slack was dropped at the square leg boundary, in front of the clubhouse. By the end of the 37th over the score was, at last, ahead of DLS.
In the 42nd over Winskill (42 from 82 ball, 2 X 4s) was caught at long off.
The Slack-Winskill partnership had been an invaluable 83 off 190 balls.
But at 115/6 the Sausages still needed 24 from 8.2 overs.
By the time Bates was bowled, 10 runs were needed from 5.1 overs. Then came another wounding blow when Slack (43 from 124) edged to the keeper. 7 needed with just 2 wickets in hand.
When Nico Watt (Carlisle CC) was out lbw, Cumbria were still 4 runs short.
The Staffordshire Bull Terriers had their tails up as Backhouse strode out to join Sharp.
Four weeks earlier Backhouse had been in a very similar position against Suffolk at Furness CC, scoring 7 of the 8 that were needed.
This time Louis survived 2 dot balls to end the 47th over.
Sharp got a leg bye, then he and Louis ran a 2.
Each ball was preceded by lengthy discussions and field changes. The tension amp ramped up to 11.
Another dot, then a straight, elevated 4 to secure victory by 1 wicket, with 14 balls to spare.
Keeling-Wright was Staffs best bowler (10 overs, 1 maiden, 5 for 26, economy 2.60).
Next for Cumbria the National Counties Dojo T20 Cup continues, start times 11am and 2.30pm:
Sunday June 14 v Shropshire at Cockermouth CC
Sunday June 21 v Cheshire at Nantwich CC
Cumbria’s NCCA NV Play Trophy Semi-Final takes place against Cheshire CCC on Sunday June 28, home venue tba.
