A RECORD batting partnership between two players from Cockermouth CC, preceded by a five-fer from an ex-Cockermouth CC player, helped Cumbria CCC to their first win in this year’s National Counties One Day Trophy campaign.
Having won the toss, Cumbria elected to field first against Bedfordshire CCC at Dunstable.
Making a very welcome return to the squad, pace bowler Chris Wright (Leicestershire CCC) opened the bowling.
He conceded just two singles and one two in his first two overs.
By contrast, toiling up the slope, in the full force of the side wind, Ed Moulton (Chorley CC) struggled to control his swing deliveries and conceded eight wides in the 30 runs scored in his two overs.
Sam Sharp (Kendal CC) took over from Moulton, and in his first over conceded six runs.
Then in his second over he dismissed both Oli Soames (6, lbw) and Harry Gouldstone (0, bowled) for just 1 leg bye.
Two overs late Sharp sent Jake Tarling (23) back to the hutch, caught behind by his Kendal keeper team-mate Finlay Richardson.
By the time that Skipper Michael Slack (Carlisle CC) took over from Wright, Cumbria had pegged back the run rate to less than four an over (45/3 off 12 overs).
Over the course of the next 18 overs Jamie Dunk and George Thurstance put on the partnership of the innings, 83 off 118 balls.
With the first ball of the 30th over, left-arm spinner Freddie Fallows (Kendal CC) tempted 19-year-old Dunk (34) to slam one towards the long on boundary where it was pouched by Matthew Sempill (Cockermouth CC).
The experienced Thurstance then nurtured a second significant partnership of 64 off 76 balls, with 20-year-old Nabil Moughal, before the latter was caught by Fallows at mid-wicket off Sharp.
Two overs later Sharp trapped Thurstance (89 off 119) lbw to secure his five-fer.
On the last ball of the 46th over saw the catch of the match when Slack, on the long off boundary, leapt up like a salmon to palm the ball up and catch it inside the boundary to dismiss Archie Houghton off Fallows.
Two overs later Patrick Harrington (37 off 21) was caught at cover by Nico Watt (Carlisle CC) to give Freddie his third wicket.
On the last ball of the innings Sharp ran out Joe Lowe (17 off 10) to finish with figures of 10 overs, three maidens, 51 runs, five wickets.
The target of 260 to win seemed achievable, unless one considered that Cumbria had never scored more than 200 against Bedfordshire in a one-day match.
Openers Fallows and Ben Walkden (Newton-le-Willows CC) got off to a strong start, at 22/0 off three overs before Fallows (17 off 11) holed out to Houghton at mid-off, off Oscar Phillips.
Walkden (14 off 28), Evan Williams (Horwich RMI CC, 26 off 42) and Slack (5 off 7) had advanced the score to 68/4 off 15.1 overs by the time Greg Platten joined his Cockermouth team-mate at the crease.
At the drinks break the hosts had been 107/3, the visitors were on 105/4.
Sempill began to really open up in the 37th over, scoring three consecutive boundaries
Five overs later Sempill launched a six to hit a bench in front of the Clubhouse, followed by a straight six towards the road, which disappeared into, or through, the hedge
In the 46th over, Sempill nudged a single to the off side to reach his century. Then two balls later he launched a six towards the Clubhouse.
With the scores equal Sempill was out, strangled down the leg side. His figures were 112 off 107 balls, 14 X fours, three X sixes - strike rate 104.67.
Having already contributed 63 to the magnificent, Cumbrian one-day record-breaking partnership of 191 off 192 balls, Platten sealed the victory with a four.
Cumbria CCC host Cambridgeshire at Kendal CC on Sunday, in the One Day Trophy, starting at 11am.
A week late on Sunday, May 18, they entertain Lincolnshire at Furness CC.
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