Last updated at 13:31, Friday, 16 July 2010

Title
Author
Copyright

Description

CRICKET

CUMBERLAND will aim to make it back-to-back victories when they take on Cambridgeshire in a three-day Minor Counties Championship game at Ernest Pass, starting on Sunday.

After suffering a miserable start to the season in the MCCA Trophy, Gary Pratt’s side’s have fared much better in the three-day format, remaining unbeaten in their first three Eastern Division championship games, and their first victory of the year came last time out against Lincolnshire.

That victory – inspired by a maiden county century by young Barrow CC opener Jon Miles – pushed them into the top three, and they will look to keep the momentum going against fifth-placed Cambridgeshire (11am start).

Miles, who scored a second innings 107 to help Cumberland to a 114-run victory at Cleethorpes, will be hoping to cash in on his expert knowledge of the Ernest Pass track and produce another big innings or two.

He is joined in the county line-up by dangerous Barrow all-rounder Graham Dawson, the ex-Millom and Dalton paceman being the only other local in the team. Cumberland line up as follows: Pratt (captain), Lowe (Middlesbrough) Evans (New Brighton) Smith (Pudsey St Lawrence) Atkinson (Netherfield) Marsden (Pudsey St Lawrence) Miles (Barrow) Dawson (Barrow) Brown (Carlisle) Miller (Kendal) Ullah (wicketkeeper, Morecambe). Scorer: Minshaw (Cockermouth).

Before the Minor Counties match begins, there is Northern Premier League action at Barrow tomorrow, with Daryl Wearing’s third-placed side looking to keep the pressure on the top two by beating Darwen, currently three places below them in the first division ladder.

To do so, Barrow will have to deal with the threat of visiting pro Mohammad Zaman Khan, who is leading the run charts with 688 at 57.33. With their own professional, Pasan Wanasinghe, in fine form with the ball, it should make for an interesting duel.

North Lancs League Premier Division action sees leaders and reigning champs Furness at home to Kirkby, while title rivals Keswick travel to Haverigg. Both Furness and Haverigg are also involved in important cup games on Sunday.

Furness entertain Northern Premier League outfit Carnforth in the quarter-finals of the Cumbria Cricket Board Bluefin Insurance County Cup.

Stuart Horne’s side won the competition for the first time as part of their unique 2009 treble (although the rearranged final against Cleator was actually contested earlier this summer) and after disposing of another Northern Premier League side in Kendal in the last round, they will be confident of progressing to the last four.

Haverigg will bid to set up a Higson Cup final derby against Millom as they travel to Cleator.

The Poolsiders certainly have the big-game players to do the job – experienced campaigners like Robert Bell, Steve Chapman and Steve Evans and a match-winning pro in Bazid Khan – but they will have to be at their best against the renowned cup fighters of west Cumbria.

There are first-versus-second matches in the first and second divisions tomorrow, with Duddon SC at home to Wigton and Furness travelling to Seascale.

The outcomes of both these games could go a long way to deciding the destinations of the championship trophies come September.

While many North Lancs teams suffered because of the wet conditions last weekend, the league representative side clinched their place in the final of Readers 2010 Inter-League competition.

Cockermouth all-rounder Chris Hodgson took 4-32 as the Lancashire County League were restricted to 119 all out in Sunday’s semi-final at Prestwich, before a great partnership between ex-Netherfield team-mates Ryan Brown (of Millom) and Furness’ Mark Daly paved the way for a comfortable five-wicket win.

Brown made 66 and Daly 77, and the team will now face the Manchester Cricket Association away in the final on Sunday, August 8.

Lindal Moor B-team will look to break their Melville Cup duck when they take on Furness B in Sunday’s final.

Moor do have home advantage going into the game – but history won’t be on their side when play begins at Pennington Lane at 1.30pm.

While Lindal have never won the Furness Cricket Association’s prestige competition in its 54-year-history, their opponents have lifted the trophy six times, the most recent being just two years ago under Steve Perry’s captaincy.

The Pennington Lane pitch is in for a busy weekend with three matches in three days, starting with a Twenty20 Masters game tonight (6.15pm start).

Many well-known local players will be in action as Lindal Masters take on their Millom counterparts in what should be an interesting spectacle as several former North Lancs League aces don the whites again.

For the Lindal side, veterans John Parkinson, Ian Cooper, Vinny Allonby and Peter Brown will be in action, as will the Sharp brothers, Ian and Steve, Hank Robinson, Jeff Smith and Peter Brockbank, for Millom.

First published at 13:05, Friday, 16 July 2010
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk