So back to reality with just one match extending over a full three days at the urban ground of Furness cricket club situated on Oxford Street, no less, in the suburbs of Barrow in Furness. Sunday 22nd July and a chance to meet up with several friends I have got to know in many years of watching Cumberland Minor Counties cricket. Today's opponents had made the long journey from Hertfordshire and soon got into the swing of things with two early wickets both to young opening bowler Alfie Duke. Cumberland had lost both openers and the score was 18-2.
It was a case of 'what's it all about Alfie' on the third man boundary as our companions reminded him that this match was supposed to last for three days. He was quite willing to join in the conversation and expressed the opinion that once the new ball had lost it's shine the game would change completely. How right he was.
Cumberland's batsmen dominated the remainder of the day and after McGladdery had been bowled by left arm spinner Ben Waring to make it 85-3, two of the Cumberland youngsters put on quite a show. Marcus Stables from Cockermouth cricket club on debut and Sam Dutton, playing on his home ground, added a partnership of 132 in fine style, before Dutton was caught off Waring for 87. Having made a similar score at Wisbech against Cambridgeshire he was obviously disappointed to miss out on a century again.
No respite for the Hertfordshire bowlers as next man in was skipper Gary Pratt, who was soon pushing ones and twos in his own inimitable way with the occasional classic cover drive for four. His score mounted quickly without the spectators really being aware of it. Stables meanwhile had gone to his century in his first match for the county. Although sometimes inelegant in stretching for the wide ball, he batted with the utmost confidence and got a great reception from the spectators. He was finally out for 117 with nine fours and four sixes.
Gary Pratt was finally out for 67, with just three fours caught at slip by Gale off Waring.
During all this run making it was interesting that Ben Waring, once on the Essex Academy staff, carried on bowling from one end for most of the day. After taking early punishment he benefited late on when the tailenders came in to have a thrash and ended with figures of 36.2-5-144-7. Quite a performance from a young man who impressed us against Staffordshire at Checkley last season.
Day two was interrupted by light rain for a couple of hours but as usual Gilbert Johnstone, former secretary of Cumberland, was the life and soul of the party. He must have known almost everyone on the ground and later in the day introduced me to former Cumberland player Alan Pemberton who had played a memorable innings at Edgbaston against Warwickshire seconds in 1960. He had a newspaper cutting of this match in his wallet! Unfortunately although I did see Cumberland at Edgbaston four years later I missed this exciting event.
Not to be outdone Alan, also a keen football follower in the immediate post war years remembered visiting Birmingham on holiday as a boy and watching a few Birmingham City matches. To our amazement he broke into song about the Blues team of 1946-47, most of whom I could remember.
Gilbert in fact sent me the words of the song a few days later. When play resumed after the rain the visitors rather collapsed against the pace of Sydall and the spin of Bulcock to be all out for 176.
To the surprise of some Cumberland decided not to enforce the follow on, which is the present day trend in all forms of cricket. So they batted again and were pegged back by some good spin bowling from Waring and Southgate with four wickets each. Only openers Ross Zelem and Matt Sempell looked comfortable, with Zelem providing the back bone of the innings with a grafting 76.
Cumberland finally declared just before the late finish on day two on 184-8 setting Hertfordshire the daunting target of 385 to win on day three. The visitors must have thought this was too stern a task and never really went for the runs. Gale in particular played a very slow innings content to occupy the crease for 134 balls in scoring just 22 runs. He was finally out with the total 93-4 when the vociferous Toby Bulcock at last got an lbw appeal agreed by the umpire.
For once Bulcock was not the star bowler, this title must go to Richmondshire's Sam Wood with 5-70 in 25 overs. A fine performance in face of a war of attrition by Hertfordshire. The visitor's middle order all stuck to their task with fifties to Reece Hussain, the skipper and nephew of Nasser Hussain, Southgate, Chatfield and Axon. So it was quite late in the day that last man Alfie Duke was finally lbw to Boyne for no score to give Cumberland a very hard earned victory. Hertfordshire all out for 310 losing by 74 runs.
Our thanks to all the people we met and the entertainment they provided throughout the three days of what was yet another good advert for Minor Counties cricket. Long may it flourish.
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