Last updated at 12:14, Tuesday, 07 August 2012

Chairman Keith Richardson hopes the Penrith venue will bring the best out of Keswick in Sunday’s rearranged Higson Cup final against Premier Division leaders Cockermouth (2pm).

Keith Richardson

Richardson skippered Keswick to a Burton Cup final win at Penrith in 1995 and would love to rekindle those winning memories this weekend.

“With the exception of the County Cup, the Higson is the premier cup competition, without a doubt, and it means a great deal,” he said.

“It’s a fantastic occasion and I hope Penrith’s a lucky omen after we won the old Burton Cup there. I hope lightning strikes twice.

“Cockermouth go in to the game as favourites but anything can happen in a final, it’s a one-off. They are still in the running for the County Cup, the league and the Higson, and are having a very, very successful season.

“They are not in that position without good reason.”

The match was scheduled to be played last Sunday, only to fall victim to rain, and the sides have not met this season.

Richardson reckons Cockermouth’s prime dangermen are batsman Gareth White and professional Amila Weththasinghe, who the club re-signed this term after he scored 1,094 runs in all competitions last year and took 61 wickets.

“Their professional comes in at five or six, and if they didn’t have such a good top order he may bat higher,” added the chairman, who is delighted with Keswick’s own Sri Lankan paid man, Geeth Kumara, in his first year at Fitz Park.

“Our professional has gone very, very well and we have signed him for next year. He has exceeded our expectations in terms of the number of runs he has scored.

“He must be approaching 800 now, though a hundred is proving elusive. He has been in the 90s and has knocked on the door a couple of times and been very consistent.

“Time is running out this season, but it’s nice for him to have an ambition still to achieve. We are not badly placed in the league and fourth is within our grasp.”

First published at 11:25, Tuesday, 07 August 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk