CUMBERLAND achieved a thrilling victory over Bedfordshire for their first three-day Minor Counties Championship win of the season at Sedbergh School.

Chris Williams and Chris Thompson were the Cumberland heroes on Tuesday.

The batting pair came together with the County struggling at 64-6 just after lunch with their victory target of 220 looking a long way away.

But the pair batted beautifully in a tense situation and gradually built the platform for Cumberland to claw their way back into the game.

By tea Cumberland had reached 160-6 with Williams on 41 and Thompson on 44. After tea the pair took the game away from the visitors with a superb display of selective hitting.

Thompson, the all-rounder from Bradford & Bingley CC, was first to his half-century, scored off 74 balls and finished unbeaten on 79 off 95 balls with 11 fours and one six, his highest score for Cumberland.

Williams, the Morecambe CC all-rounder, who was playing Westmorland League cricket for Silverdale two seasons ago, reached his maiden Championship half-century off 102 balls.

He went to make an undefeated 68 off 123 balls with 12 fours, concluding the game with an off drive for four off Andy Reynoldson just before the start of the last hour.

Thompson and Williams added 158 in their undefeated match-winning stand in 36 overs and 128 minutes.

Cumberland's first Championship win in six attempts at Sedbergh looked a long way away as they began their runs chase disastrously.

Bedfordshire's lively left-arm opening bowler Colin Griggs pinned Jon Miles and Liam Livingstone leg before to leave the County struggling at 8-2.

James Lowe and skipper Gary Pratt repaired the damage and took their side into lunch at 44-2, but the immediate post-lunch session proved disastrous.

Pratt was caught behind by George Arblaster down the leg-side off Will Sneath for 20, and Lowe caught behind off Martin Weightman for 23.

Wicketkeeper Ikram Ullah was caught behind off Weightman for 8 and Cumberland's woes increased when Alex Atkinson was unluckily run out by a ricochet off Weightman at the non-striker's end.

Having lost four wickets for nine runs Cumberland's victory hopes looked slim but Williams and Thompson had other ideas.

Cumberland are now undefeated in their last 12 Championship games.

Bedfordshire had resumed the third day on 136-8 and added a further 31 runs in the first 40 minutes of the morning session.

McGarry became Williams's fourth victim of the second innings when he was caught behind for 16; Graham Dawson came into the attack to replace off-spinner Lowe and have Griggs caught behind with his second delivery of the day.

Bedfordshire had lost their last seven wickets for 39 runs as they were dismissed for 167. Williams claimed 4-33 off 20 overs and Lowe 3-40 off 20 overs and match figures of eight for 115. Ikram Ullah claimed four second innings victims behind the stumps.

Cumberland's next match is against Norfolk at Horsford beginning on Sunday week, 24 July.