STAFFORDSHIRE started the second day 145 runs in arrears with six wickets left to fall and Cumberland hoping to take quick wickets and gain a first-innings lead.

Overnight batsman Harvey was joined at the wicket by Mo Sheikh (ex Warwickshire and Derbyshire CCC).Sheikh faced the one ball left in the over from the previous day's play and duly despatched a slow long hop for four, a nice way to get off the mark.

A long tussle then ensued with the Staffordshire batsmen working hard on a wicket that was beginning to have the odd ball keeping low.

Harvey was the first to go for 25 with the score on 135-5. There then followed a partnership of 51 between Sheikh and wicket-keeper Goodwin until the latter was dismissed.

Wickets then fell at regular intervals until the last wicket went down at 239 with Sheikh left unbeaten on 65.

The main wicket-takers for Cumberland was slow left-arm bowler Hey with 4-37. Other wicket- takers were Sharp. 2-37, Raikes 1-11, Craven 1-60, Hooker 1-41 and Smith 1-31, leaving Cumberland with a slender lead of 17.

The Cumberland second innings again started badly with first Stead and then Raikes dismissed cheaply, Stead for nine and then Raikes for two.

The third wicket fell at 56 when Gary Pratt was given out caught behind for 12, a decision that the batsman queried but to no avail.

Jon Miles then came to the crease and was dismissed without troubling the scorers.

Steve Knox, again batting down the order, entered the fray at No. 6 and showed the earlier batsman how to defend with an innings lasting 153 minutes, scoring 15 runs in the process until he was ninth man out.

Carl Hey was dismissed during Knox's innings for a well-crafted knock of 51, concluding a fine all-round performance on the day.

Craven with a breezy 17 and then Smith with 18 followed quickly leaving Cumberland at a precarious 135-7.

The injured D'Leny then continued where he left off from the first innings with a beautifully struck innings of 41, again on one leg with a runner, then left the wicket with the score at 197-8.

Knox was out shortly before the end of play with the not out batsmen, Hooker and Sharp, one and four respectively, accepting the umpires offer of bad light.

Staffordshire bowling figures were Sheikh, 12-3-55-2, Snape 11-8-37-4, Morris 13-7-8-1 and Jones 6-3-18-1.

Cumberland currently lead by 220 with one wicket to fall with a maximum of 102 overs possible on the last day.

Once again the game is evenly balanced with Cumberland skipper Sharp looking to add a few quick runs in the morning to set Staffordshire somewhere in the region of 240 to win.