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In a weekend which incorporated the second round of the League Cup the surprise result came at Kirkby Stephen.
The home side did what all Premiership teams have failed to achieve this season and beat leaders, Penrith seconds.
The comfortable margin of six wickets was based on an excellent bowling performance by the team, and then Kerry Hurst putting residency issues aside, with a well counted half century.
Penrith had been bowled out for 116 with only Jonathan Osborne looking confident for 33.
Hurst shone with the ball, taking 4-28 and then hit 54 as Kirkby Stephen reached their target, 117-4 in 29.3 overs. Osborne completed a good match despite his team’s disappointment by taking 2-18 from eight tight overs.
In the next round they face Carlisle II, who won the closest encounter of the round against Appleby II.
Chasing a formidable target of 234, they scored the winning run with only three balls remaining, with two wickets left.
It was a cracking match but one or two of the Appleby players thought they should have won when they had made a total of 234.
Taylor Phillips (54) and Seamus Moore (35) scored best for Appleby while Nick Whitfield took 5-38 for Carlisle.
Carlisle got off to a sparkling start, but when the two openers had been dismissed Appleby were back in the game.
However solid knocks throughout the innings from Whitfield (48), Gareth Webber (43), Chris Humpleby (36) and Chris Hayes (31) eventually saw needing seven to win from the last over and these were attained with just two balls left.
In a thriller at Tynefield Park Shap eventually ran out winners against Penrith thirds in a closely fought contest with three balls to spare to reach the last eight.
Shap won the toss and put Penrith into bat and could have regretted it. Penrith started really well with opening batsmen Chris Birtles (50) and Jonathan Sim (35) putting on 85 for the first wicket off 22 overs.
Penrith consolidated this start with Dewalt Berger making 37 and some good late hitting gave them a competitive score of 188-6 from their 40m overs.
Mike Allen was the most successful of the Shap bowlers with 3-45.
Shap started their reply well with openers Sean Harvey (46) and Sam Wood (18) putting on 38 for the first wicket. Good tight bowling by Penrith in the next ten overs put great pressure on the Shap batsmen.
Harvey fell short of his first fifty for Shap but good middle order batting by Steve Percival (44) got them back in the game.
More tight bowling by Mark Cameron and Berger brought the game to a thrilling finish. Shap needed 24 off the last 3 overs, and then 12 off the last two.
It was captain Dean Johnston (36no) who was the hero with a boundary off the third ball of the last over to win the match.
Both Wigton II and III progress to the next round at the respective expense of Cockermouth thirds and Nunwick seconds.
The thirds made 172 against Nunwick with Mike Hill top-scoring on 45 as Adam White, Rod Taylor and Adam Pattinson all claimed two wickets apiece.
Nunwick were bowled out for 118 in 31.3 overs with Steve Hather top-scoring on 32. Mike Hill (3-14), Norman Edwards (2-24) and Chris Ray (3-25) shared the Wigton bowling honours.
Cockermouth thirds hit 189-5, based on a major contribution from Joe Broomfield (106). Joseph Tiffin weighed in with 41 and Richard Sowerby took 2-31 for Wigton seconds.
In a desperately close finish Wigton just got home before the close on 191-5 with Richard Mattinson (95) and Sowerby (47) leading the way.
In another good Cup tie at Nunwick the home side beat a depleted Braithwaite by three wickets.
Braithwaite arrived at Nunwick with the confidence of a recent win at the ground but without a number of their established players and only ten players.
Batting first Braithwaite lost two early wickets including the dangerous Oswald who was adjudged LBW to Adam Collin.
At 11-2 Phil Knight and Harry Rigby set about rebuilding the innings on a slow pitch. Both players were patient and began to increase the run rate at the introduction of the change bowlers with Andy Collin being unusually expensive.
Rigby played with maturity and Knight began to unfurl some classy strokes through the off side and hoisting anything leg-side to the boundary.
Nunwick were grateful for an accurate spell of leg spin from last years leading bowler, James Tweedie, on his first appearance of the season, to stem the ever increasing run rate.
Drinks were taken at 80 – 2 but the previous afternoons “bonding session” in the Highland Drove appeared to have backfired as the Nunwick out-cricket became ragged with a series of mis-fields and dropped catches.
Rigby eventually hit a long hop into the safe hands of Dougie Parker at midwicket off Duncan Robinson to give Nunwick a much needed breakthrough.
Knight continued largely untroubled, passing 50 and starting to open his shoulders as the overs ran out. He was given good support by the middle order and the score continued to mount.
Adam Collin returned for a good late spell and brought one back from outside the off stump to bowl Knight for 82 when a century looked on the cards.
Whilst wickets fell regularly the score mounted alarmingly as Nunwick’s fielding remained shoddy, and a late flurry, including some skillful use of the thigh pad from Gilbert Pyke realised a competitive score of 191.
Adam Collin was Nunwick’s best bowler and finished his eight over spell with 4-23.
Nunwick’s reply was undermined by a good spell from Dan Pyke who castled Buckle, Tweedie and Williamson with his nippy in-swing to leave Nunwick tottering at 29 – 3.
Opener Neil Sands and Adam Collin saw off the opening bowlers and began to take full toll on some variable change bowling.
But when the score had reached 66 Collin obligingly hit Jason Pyke’s loosener to deep square leg to tilt the balance of the match back to Braithwaite.
By now Sands was well into his stride passing 50 and dismissing anything short, as well as playing the occasional cover drive as the pitch dried out. He was given good support by Dougie Parker and John Mounsey.
Dan Pyke returned to bowl Mounsey with a shooter but Sands was now winning the match literally off his own bat and went to three figures and beyond before holing out with only two runs needed for victory.
That allowed Duncan Robinson to deposit Pyke senior into the barley field to win the match by three wickets with almost five overs to spare. Dan Pyke finished with 4-20.
Scotby got through at the expense of hosts Baggrow as they whittled them out for just 79 in only 22.3 overs. Stuart Farrer (3-13), Nick Rigg (3-24) and Andy Teasdale (2-29) were the main bowlers for Scotby. Mark Peile did his best to hold Baggrow together and top-scored with 41.
Earlier Scotby had made 209-7 in their 40 overs with Mark Vasey (49) and Olly Oliver (42) the main contributors.
In the other Cup game Lowther made the quarter-finals as they beat visitors Carleton by eight wickets after bowling them out for 117.
Carleton were largely dependent on 47 from David Pearson as Graeme Cartmel (3-7) and Paul Cullen (3-25) found the wicket to their liking.
Andrew Little (38no) and David Selkirk (33no) saw the home side through to 118-2 in 32.2 overs.
There were a number of League gamnes played over the week-end, four of them in the top flight.
At Carlisle the home seconds just got through to victory against Edenhall with two balls to spare as they reached 176-5.
Nick Whitfield (49) AND Chris Hayes (37) had been the major contributors with Andrew Gate taking 3-16 for the visitors.
In their 40 overs Edenhall had made 175-8 with Gate also among the runs, top-scoring on 47 while Craig Sutherland chipped-ion with 38 not out. Ian Hutton took 3-38 for Carlisle.
Braithwaite entertained League champions, Scotby and on the inevitable damp pitch, with what looked like good drying conditions, the toss was particularly important.
The home side had no hesitation in inserting the champions and loosed the Pyke brothers at them.
The pair shared in a three wicket haul with elder brother Dan taking a brilliant caught and bowled in his 2-15 from four overs and Jason 1-10 from five overs.
Dad Gilbert Pyke claimed the forth Scotby wicket as Harry Rigby took probably the catch of the season on the boundary.
The key partnership was Mark Vasey and Ollie Driver, who both have inflicted significant scores against Braithwaite in the past and were certainly at the crease a lot earlier than expected.
Both made watchful starts and began to readdress the early loss of wickets. It was Pyke senior who made the crucial breakthrough as Andy Pepper took a sharp chance behind the stumps to remove Vasey for 21.
By the half way stage Scotby were 61-5 and Braithwaite were well on top.
Driver continued to try and take the game to the opposition and with some expansive hitting began to manoeuvre Scotby into a competitive position.
Pyke senior finished his ten overs with 2-28 and with five wickets in hand Scotby were certainly going to have a go in the final few overs.
The key to bowling at the death is “you miss I hit” which is exactly what Ian Dixon did, firstly Driver, frustratingly one short of an excellent half century, followed by three more Scotby batsmen who were all clean-bowled.
The final ball of the Scotby Innings saw Phil Knight take a good catch on the boundary as Dixon claimed 5-32 from 3.2 overs - the first time a Braithwaite bowler has taken five wickets in an innings for four years.
Scotby were all out for 150 which looked about 20 to 30 runs light.
It was no surprise that Scotby soon had the Braithwaite batsmen under immense pressure with the score 8-1 after ten overs as both Driver and Vasey bowled very tightly. Even the free-hitting Phil Knight was becalmed as both bowlers bowled five maidens on the trot.
The inevitable key through this period was the loss of no more wickets for the home side, as with a change in bowlers the run rate soon began to improve.
Knight holed out to point as Braithwaite reached 44-2 by the half way stage of their innings.
The ever watchful Ian Plant and Harry Rigby shared in an excellent partnership of 66 runs before the latter was stumped off the bowling of Eric Corrie for 33.
Plant finally holed out for an excellent 34 but the game was nicely poised.
Braithwaite had wickets in hand although the run rate was still around five an over and Scotby had both Driver and Vasey to bowl their second spells.
With six overs to go it was time to unleash bowling hero Dixon. His innings only lasted six balls but in the process he bludgeoned 14 runs.
Trevor Kitching, likewise, blasted 12 runs in a brief but very effective cameo as Braithwaite could almost taste the victory.
Next in for the home side was young Jason Pyke who scored ten off his first two balls the finishing touches were applied by brother Dan Pyke who hit the winning boundary in the 37th over.
It was an excellent game of cricket played in superb spirit between the two sides.
Caldbeck were also Premier Division winners, beating Appleby seconds by nine runs in an other excellent confrontation.
Mike Strong (51no), Jamie Brownrigg (51) and Steve Bell (36) fired Caldbeck to 214-8 which was just beyond the home side.
They responded boldly led by George Moore (60) and Taylor Phillips (52) but were eventually bowled-out for 205.
The other Premier Division game was drawn. Home side Penrith seconds closed their 40 overs on 190-6 while visitors Stainton had got to 160-8 in their 40 overs.
Terence O’Neill made an unbeaten 87 for Penrith while Rick Kay (42) top-scored for Stainton. Graeme Bain of Stainton turned in the best bowling performance with 4-36.
In Division One Wigton seconds were bundled out for 73 at home to Gamblesby as Martyn Crouch (5-14) and Jonathan Kidd (3-17) proved to be a deadly duo.
Gamblesby needed only 23.4 overs to reach 74-3 and claim the victory.
Kirkby Stephen beat visitors Shap by six wickets as some good bowling by Robert Hook (4-10), Chris Scarr (3-17) and Kerry Hurst (3-49) proved decisive.
Shap could manage only 120 and that was well within the Kirkby Stephen compass as Hurst (31), Paul Thornborrow (31) and Chris Bowman (30) steered them to 121-4 in 27.3 overs.
Culgaith had a big home win over Cockermouth thirds as they dismissed the visitors for 89 in 26.1 overs. Tony Stamper (6-20), Martin Hadley (3-20) and Ted Walker (1-4 from seven overs) proved too much for the young Cockermouth side.
Earlier Culgaith had been bowled-out in 40 overs for 205. Adrian Robson (63) and David Spruce (55) were the main architects of that score. Ben Morgan (5-28) and Robert Dixon (3-26) put in good bowling spells for Cockermouth.
In Division Two Temple Sowerby were frustrated by Wetheral in a drawn game which produced two half centuries.
David Hinckley scored 66 when Temple Sowerby batted first and posted 197-8 while Andy Oliver hit 59 in the Wetheral reply of 141-6.
James Farmer also made 47 for Temple Sowerby and the game’s best bowling return was by Wetheral’s Mike Slack with 3-26 from eight overs.
There were positive results, too, in the other three Division Two games.
Penrith seconds rattled-up 220-7 against Patterdale with Paul Andrews (62), Jordan Lawson (50no) and Steven Nicholson (50) all enjoying good sessions in the middle. Veteran Malcolm Beaty took 3-52 and then made 30 in Patterdale’s positive reply of 207. Mark Cleminson top-scored with 38 while Jack Winter took 3-21 for Penrith.
There was quit a contest at Lowther where visitors Great Corby just squeezed home by one wicket in a low-scoring game.
Lowther were bowled-out for 92 in 34.2 overs with Matthew Shore taking 5-18 from 9.2 overs.
With 2.3 overs to spare Great Corby finally reached 93-9 as Andrew Little took 6-19 and almost salvaged the game for Lowther.
Alex Blaylock produced the innings of the day, hammering a remarkable 139 not out as Edenhall seconds raced to 183-2 in only 25 overs to beat visitors Arthuret and Esk.
Gareth Weber chipped in with 31not out in a supportive role as Blaylock smashed runs all over the ground. Tony Steel had made 66 when Arthuret and Esk batted first and reached 182-8.
There were four games played in Division Three and Penrith Wanderers were the easiest winners, beating Stainton seconds by nine wickets.
Steve Hodgson (5-21) and Dougie Fowles (4-22) combined to dismiss the home side for 58.
Nigel Fowles, who had taken the tenth wicket, was 25 not out in the winning response of 59-1.
Rockcliffe also won by nine wickets but had a bit more to do to beat Nunwick seconds.
The home side had made 141 led by John Mounsey (39), Ed Swale (38) and James Tweedie (35) with Richards Johnston and William Wharton each taking three wickets.
William Wharton (85no) and Robert Wharton (42no) were the men who saw Rockcliffe through to victory on 144-1 with 5.1 overs to spare.
The two Irthing Vale sides met with three second team players pulling out on Saturday morning, leaving them with only seven players.
It was decided that, in the interests of club solidarity and harmony, that two players, John Taylor and Steve Kania, would be ‘promoted’ to the second team to even out the sides.
The seconds won the toss and decided to bat on what looked like a soft slow wicket, and got off to a poor start with opener Mark Ashton soon back in the pavilion.
Ashton was replaced by Andy Peddelty (13) who hit three quick boundaries before he too headed back to the changing rooms.
Things were not looking too good for the seconds but Neil Corrie started a revival of fortunes hitting seven boundaries on his way to making 36.
Bill Park (7) was next to depart after he was unable to deal with the bowling of 13-year-old Matthew Turner ,who’s four over spell was excellent ,producing three maidens and then eventually the wicket of Park.
Corrie departed next, but with the first team utilising eight bowlers the tail managed to push on to a reasonable score of 118 in the conditions, with Terry Breen hitting 16 and Dave Coates making 12.
Alistair McKenzie was the most economic of the first team bowlers with Steve Turner and Phil Kania taking three wickets each.
The first team reply then got off to a rapid start with openers Steve Turner (19) and James Miller (15) taking advantage of some poor opening bowling as the first team score raced to 40 after only six overs.
Miller was the first to depart caught behind by an excellent catch by Terry Breen at slip, after the ball bounced off the pad and clipped the outside edge of the bat.
Turner went next caught at fine leg and Duncan Miller departed soon after leg before to Park.
The change of bowling to Park and Corrie was not to the batsmen’s liking, as they struggled to get the slow but accurate bowling away on a slow and deteriorating wicket.
With time on their side however Alan Matthews (23) and Phil Kania (19) started to settle and got the first team into the nineties before Matthews got himself out playing a poor shot.
With Kania still there and looking comfortable it was still looking good, but when Corrie came back on to bowl, Kania struggled to put bat to ball and was eventually out leg before.
With only one wicket left it looked as if the second team would take the points and they duly did when Barry Nixon managed to hit the ball off the square for the first time in about five years, but put it straight to Park at mid on, who gratefully took the catch that sealed the victory by 15 runs.
Lanercost thirds won the toss at Baggrow seconds and opted to bat. On a blustery day the tone of the game was set by the first ball of the match.
Lanercost gifted the home side a wicket with a run out by attempting a third bye.
With Vince Pierce taking a wicket in his first over and Callum Ward with his first ball, Lanercost were 8-3 after 4.1 overs.
Alex Clark, the only batsman to out score extras with 32, hit out before being John McGuffie’s final victim as most catches were held.
The visitor’s lapses in the field proved to not at all expensive. Lanercost were even more profligate with extras, that when Armstrong had reduced Baggrow to 27-3, only 13 runs had come off the bat. Stuart Callister and Peter Turner (17 each) took the score to 74 before Callister was stumped off a wide off the bowling of a very young leg spinner, Ross Wilson.
At 84-6 McGuffie hit three successive fours to hasten the end of the contest. Predictably the win was rapped up with another batch of wides, as extras accounted for 40% of the Baggrow total and the game ended early.
McGuffie (4-31) and Pierce (3-15) shared the bowling honours for Baggrow who were gifted 41 extras in their winning reply of 102-6.
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