THERE were more than the average number of ‘ducks’ in the Readers Westmorland Cricket League of 2011 and the weather has been just fine for them.

What began as one of the hottest April’s succumbed to the rain gods - the main winner in the final few Saturdays.

On balance Warton just about deserved the championship crown by going unbeaten all season and have lost just nine games since 2006.

Plaudits go to captain Graeme Crowther, while the return of Andrew Ideson from Heysham and the arrival of Paul Wilson from Burneside proved timely as Warton became the first club since Burneside in 1908 to win a hat-trick of championships.

The premier division saw the usual suspects in the title hunt in Arnside and Westgate until the rain came in August.

With the return to the fold of Peter Wilson, Westgate looked handily placed to push on for the shield but were instead left to reflect on one of the most magnificent innings ever witnessed in the WCL.

In a rain-reduced match at Arnside the seasiders chased a lot of leather as Wilson struck 189 not out and had the game run its full course he would surely have become the first division one player to reach 200 runs.

Prodigal son Kevin Howarth returned to Arnside and his first two knocks were 153no and 100. By the halfway mark he had hit two more tons on his way to 681 runs and an average of 97, but the rain gods prevented him smashing records.

The dogfight to avoid the drop was always going to be between Sedgwick, Windermere and Kirkby Lonsdale with the problems at the latter two seemingly in excess of skin deep. Both clubs need a period of retrenchment in the second division to rethink and regroup.

At Sedgwick, Bolton le Sands and Silverdale it was mission accomplished and the first named must press on with their youth policy.

Shireshead, Milnthorpe, Heysham and Burneside all flattered to deceive and will be particularly disappointed, but Heysham can take heart from their top-half finish and in Sam Calverley this have a prize asset.

Milnthorpe did what they do best by starting poorly but playing better than their aspirations dashed while Burneside had half their season rain affected.

The four previous summers were deplorable and this one was dire. What’s that about mad dogs and Englishmen?