After another jam-packed year of competive action, reporter Ross McLean reviews 2013 from a sporting perspective.

January

Australian batsman Alex Doolan is announced as Kendal Cricket Club’s professional for the 2013 season.

Kendal’s Garry Thompson helps Bradford City reach the Capital One Cup Final after a 4-3 aggregate victory over Aston Villa in the semi-final at Villa Park.

February

Steve Edmondson oversees his first win as Kendal Town manager as the Mintcakes beat Eastwood Town 6-0.

Kendal move off the bottom of National League Three North with a 29-13 win over West Hartlepool at Mint Bridge.

Netherfield announce the signing of South African all-rounder Colin Ackermann as the Parkside Road club’s professional for the forthcoming cricket season.

Later in the month, Kendal Town crash out of the FA Lancashire Challenge Trophy to AFC Fylde at the semi-final stage – a game held at the county’s FA headquarters in Leyland.

Representing Westmorland Football Association, Ambleside United lose to Leeds City in the semi-final of the Association of National Counties Cup.

March

Milnthorpe Corinthians announce manager Keith Singleton will step down at the end of the season after a difficult campaign in West Lancashire League Division Two.

In rugby union, Kendal keep their slim hopes of avoiding relegation alive with a 22-13 success over Birkenhead Park.

Paul Bird finishes runner-up for the second consecutive year in the Malcolm Wilson rally, missing out on a record-equalling fourth victory.

Raymond Watson’s commitment and contribution to the Cumbria Amateur Swimming Association is acknowledged with the county’s highest honour – the President of Cumbria Amateur Association Chain of Order.

After beating Longridge, Kendal Ladies Hockey Club seal promotion to Investec Conference North after finishing third in the North Hockey League Premier Division.

Kendal-trained judoka Michael Horley claims gold at the English Open Judo Championships.

Sedbergh School win their first Rosslyn Park HSBC National Schools Sevens tournament for five years.

April

Kendal’s relegation to League North One West is confirmed when the Black and Ambers lose 34-13 to Percy Park.

James Ellison – returning for a third spell at Milwaukee Yamaha – aims for British Superbike Championship glory as the new season gets underway at Brands Hatch.

Bentham boxer Tomi Tatham retains his unbeaten light-heavyweight record since turning professional with a knockout victory over Mitch Mitchell at the Reebok Stadium.

Ibis are crowned Kendal and District Table Tennis League Division One champions.

A 6-0 hammering at the hands of FC United of Manchester edges Kendal Town ever-closer to Evo-Stik Premier relegation.

Kevin Pickering scores the winner as Dave Chambers’ Kendal County lift the Westmorland Senior Challenge Cup after  a 2-1 triumph over Keswick at Parkside Road.

May

John Huck scores a century as Netherfield secure their first win of the summer – a seven-wicket win over Darwen.

Despite a 1-0 success over Buxton, Kendal Town’s seven-year stay in the Evo-Stik Premier Division comes to an end.

However, there is some positive news as leading scorer Danny Mitchley – a loan signing from Altrincham – agrees a deal to remain at the club.

Wetheriggs United are crowned Westmorland Association Football League Division One champions with Carvetii United, Unisun Athletic and Greystoke Reserves winning division two, three and four respectively.

Sedbergh runner Joe Symonds makes it back-to-back Three Peaks race victories.

Alex Doolan will miss all Kendal’s fixtures during June due to international commitments as the 28-year-old is called-up to the Australia A squad touring England.

Despite the inspirational performances of Kendal prop Billy Coxon and Kirkby Lonsdale scrum-half Ben Walker, Cumbria miss out on County Championship Shield Final glory after a 21-16 defeat to Surrey at Twickenham.

June

Adam Cowperthwaite bowls himself into Kendal Cricket Club folklore with a nine-wicket haul against Blackpool. As the Shap Road club rout Blackpool for 76 en route to a ten-wicket victory, his figures of 9-42 are the 11th best bowling figures in Northern League history.

George Gudgeon is named manager of West Lancashire Football League Division One side Ambleside United.

July

Stu Parkin is named Kendal Cricket Club captain after the resignation of Chris Miller and immediately leads the Shap Road club to a ten-wicket victory over Chorley.

Striker Josh Casson of Wattsfield under-13s and Ulverston Rangers under-14s signs for Championship side Wigan Athletic.

Kirkby Lonsdale greenkeeper Chris Hodgkinson is part of the team preparing the Merion Golf Course in Philadelphia ahead of Justin Rose’s US Open triumph.
Netherfield Cricket Club taste victory in the TWP Wealth Twenty20 Final at Parkside Road with victories over Preston and Darwen.

Ben Abdelnoor storms home in the Wasdale Fell Race.

Windermere golf sensation Adam Chapman represents England in the European Boys Team Championship at Murcar Links Course in Scotland.

Oliver Wileman smashes 150 not out against Cartmel at Rydal Road to record the highest-ever score in Ambleside Cricket Club history.

August

After more than a century in the game, Shap Football Club look on the brink of extinction until an AGM breathes new life into the club.

Wattsfield Junior Football Club under-16s lift silverware at the Costa Blanca Cup in Benidorm.

Bentham boxer Tomi Tatham beats James Tucker on points at the Reebok Stadium to maintain his unbeaten professional record – five wins from five bouts.

Marc Brown’s Netherfield beat Astley Bridge in the ECB National T20 Area Semi-Finals but fall to a nine-wicket defeat to a strong Ormskirk outfit in a rain-affected final.

During the course of the Auld Grey derby at Shap Road, legendary Kendal batsman Terry Hunte reaches the milestone of 20,000 Northern Cricket League runs with a lofted drive to the long-off boundary. Netherfield ultimately secure a four-wicket victory.

Kendal Town make a positive start to life in Evo-Stik League Division One North with a 3-1 win against last season’s play-off contenders Mossley at Seel Park.

September

James Ellison celebrates a double podium finish at Silverstone.

Kendal Town suffer an upset at Parkside Road, crashing out the FA Cup at the hands of Crook Town.

Arnside are crowned champions of the Readers Westmorland Cricket League after an imperious season, with Milnthorpe runners-up.

With former player Steve Whitehead taking up the position of Director of Rugby, Kendal lose their opening match at League North One West level 73-15 at Wirral while Kirkby Lonsdale fall to a 12-5 reverse at Wilmslow.

Kendal Ladies Hockey Club’s first game at Investec Conference North level ends in defeat, 3-2 at home to Whitley Bay and Tynemouth.

However, the girls only have to wait a week to set the record straight, returning home from Nottingham with a 3-1 win over Boots.

After completing the required number of friendly games including a defeat of Carlisle in their opening warm-up clash, Kendal Ladies Wasps beat Ormskirk Ladies 20-19 in their inaugural league match.

Levens cyclists James Knox represents Great Britain at the UCI Road World Championships in Toscana, Italy.

October

Staveley’s Rob Jebb wins the Three Peaks Cyclo Cross challenge for a record tenth time.

Alice Bowler becomes the first-ever Kendal gymnast to be crowned the county’s top senior performer at the Cumbria Senior Gymnastic Championships, as Rebecca Hill takes bronze.

Kendal Warriors start the defence of their Northern League basketball title with a 66-56 win at Carlisle Panthers.

Ings equestrian Simon Buckley wins the prestigious Horse and Hound Foxhunter Championship at the 65th Horse of the Year show.

More than two years after beating Luctonians, Kendal finally record a win on the road with a 46-19 thrashing of Carlisle.

However, the tables are turned in the much-anticipated derby between Kendal and Kirkby Lonsdale at Mint Bridge as the visitors run out 17-15 winners.

After a 2-1 loss against Padiham at the Arbories, Kendal Town boss Steve Edmondson surprisingly resigns his managerial post.

His replacement is assistant Dave Foster who starts his reign with a 2-2 home draw against Northwich Victoria – managed by former Mintcakes’ boss Lee Ashcroft.

A second successive derby success eludes Kirkby Lonsdale as Vale of Lune beat the Underley Park outfit 46-31.

James Ellison finishes fourth in the British Superbikes Championship before announcing he will ride for GBmoto Racing in 2014.

Kendal-trained judoka Michael Horley wins silver at the European Cup in Belgrade.

November

Kalum Heywood-Byatt becomes World Kickboxing Association and World Traditional Karate Association champion in the 16-18-year-old age bracket and light contact category.

Kendal Town end an eight-game winless run by beating Prescot Cables 3-0 – Dave Foster’s first win as manager.

Dalton United pair Iain Callison and Gareth Jones are presented with long service awards after clocking up 467 and 375 matches respectively. Jones is closing in on 400 goals for the Railway Meadow side.

Beth Cordukes scores twice while Nicola Conway and Rosie Dale also find the net as Kendal Ladies record their first-ever home win at Conference North level, 4-1 against Doncaster.

Judokas Sophie Cox – who represented Great Britain at the 2004 and 2012 Olympic Games – and David Groom win gold at the Welsh Open.

Carnforth’s Arron Newby celebrates his tenth victory of his career to clinch the Eurostars Motorsport.com Manx Rally.

Windermere Golf Club pair Ian Gordon and Simon Edwards win the Golfplan Insurance PGA Pro-Captain Challenge final in Antalya, Turkey.

Boxer Tomi Tatham vows to bounce back after relinquishing his unbeaten light-heavyweight record with defeat to Sheffield-born Lee Duncan at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens.

December
With qualification points for the 2014 Commonwealth Games up for grabs, Sophie Cox wins bronze at the Oceania Open.

In a year where he won the British Fell Running Championships for a third time, Rob Jebb picks up the Special Award at the Cumbria Sports Awards for contributions made to mountain-based sports.

Cockermouth’s Matthew Wilson becomes only the second three-time winner of the Grizedale Stages Rally.

Kendal Cricket Club announce the return of New Zealand international batsman Jamie How for the 2014 season.

Kendal Town forward Danny Mitchley ends the year on top of the Evo-Stik League Division One North goalscoring charts after netting 20 times.