Cumbria’s Development team lost to Staffordshire 2nds by 92 runs in their game at Carlisle’s Edenside.
After three close games this was the first game of the Development Team’s season where they were well beaten.
Up against a strong Staffordshire 2nd XI they were unable to match the batting of the Staffordshire captain Jack Hammond or Ed Batchelor’s bowling.
Late changes to the Development team meant that Noah Hoyle (Edenhall) and Sam Murdock (Wigton) made their County Development debuts.
Having been reduced to 165/9 the Staffordshire’s last pair added 45 to set a target for Cumbria to win of 211.
For Cumbria the only partnership of note was between Kian Larmour and Aston Burwell-Garratt of 57 (the best partnership of the match) as they were bowled-out for 118 in 42.2 overs.
Hammond made 67 for Staffordshire and Batchelor took 5-17. Burwell-Garratt top-scored with 39 for Cumbria.
The covers had stayed on all day at Edenside and there was no play in either match.
There would be no County debut for Declan Tyson, and Nico Watt would not play his last games before ‘retirement’ from county cricket.
As in 2023 (at Checkley), 2024 (at Carlisle and then later in the season at Chester BH on finals day) and the first match of the two in 2025 (at Wolverhampton) the T20 matches between Cumbria and Staffordshire were abandoned without a ball being bowled.
Eight of the last nine scheduled T20 matches between the two Counties have been completely lost to the weather.
Sharing the points in each match was enough for Staffordshire to top the group and qualify for a home Super12 match. Cumbria remain bottom of the group.
