Cumbria County Cricket Club have enjoyed a second success in their National Counties One Day Trophy competition with a win over Herefordshire at Cockermouth.

Cumbria’s opener Sam Dutton and No. 3 batsman Michael Slack were out for 6 and 1 respectively by halfway through the 5th over.

Proving true to his name Marcus Stables stabilised the innings by forging a 36-run partnership with long-serving ex-pro Gary Pratt before Stables was bowled for 22 in the 9th over. 

The backbone of the innings was provided by the left-handed duo of Pratt and Matthew Sempill. Given the fairly precarious position of 57-3 when Sempill came to the crease, the southpaw pair progressed carefully to 75-3 with no boundaries for the next 7 overs.

The sinistral brace gradually built up the scoring momentum with Pratt passing his century on the last ball of the 40th over.

The Westmorland Gazette:

Whilst the crowd was preparing for a second celebration Sempill was caught on 49 at the start of the 41st over leaving the ‘Sausages’ on a respectable 203-4.

Paul Hindmarch helped advance the score by a further 24 before his dismissal in the 44th over. Pratt increased his score to 122, and the team score to 247, before being bowled at the start of the 47th.

With experience giving way to youthful exuberance 20-year-old Penrithian Brodie Glendinning and 21-year-old Finlay Richardson took the final score to 288 including three sixes, the last of which Richardson put onto the clubhouse roof.

Setting the tone, Captain Slack took 2 wickets in the first over of Herefordshire’s innings.

However, the visitors built a partnership of 116 before leggie Nico Watt created a caught behind in the 28th over.

Eight balls later keeper Richardson pouched a second off the bowling of Glendinning. The valuable wicket of Herefordshire’s No. 4 Zain Ul Hassan was taken by James McGown thanks to a catch by Dutton at short fine leg.

The Westmorland Gazette:

This put the Bulls on 186/5 off 39 overs. At the same stage Cumbria had been 197 for 3. However, with four overs to go the ‘Bulls’ were on 251 for 6, ahead of Cumbria’s 247 for 5 at the same stage. Having restricted the visitors to 8 runs in the 47th over Slack threw the ball to spinner Sempill.

Richardson effected a stumping off Sempill’s first ball and Slack took a catch at long on off his third. Glendinning took a catch off Slack in the penultimate over.

With just 2 balls to go, and an unlikely 19 runs required, No.10 batsman Mason seemed to pay homage to New Zealand’s de Grandhomme from the previous day’s Test by wandering out of his crease after a single, allowing Watt to shy at his stumps to secure a run out and victory by 18 runs for Cumbria.

Cumbria’s 50-over campaign continues with: Sunday, June 12 Oxfordshire v Cumbria at Banbury Cricket Club 26th June Cumbria v Northumberland at Keswick Cricket Club All start at 11am.