Sunday 7th July and off to Kendal to see the first day of Cumberland v Cambridgeshire at Netherfield cricket club. Always a pleasant spot to watch Minor Counties cricket with the banking at the Castle end of the ground giving an elevated view of proceedings. Parking somewhat restricted due to a junior game on the second ground during the morning and a Westmorland League division three game in the afternoon between Netherfield fourths and Windermere. So plenty of action to watch on both fronts during the day.
Cumberland fielded a rather unfamiliar side without such regulars as skipper Gary Pratt, Toby Bulcock, Sam Dutton, Marcus Stables and Sam Wood. Grateful as ever to Cumberland treasurer Eric Carter for giving me details of some of the players who were new to me.
Cumberland batted first and seemed unfortunate to lose opener Mark Sempill to a caught behind decision for nought early in the proceedings. However Ross Zelem and Ben Davidson, from Carlisle, added fifty for the second wicket before Zelem was more clearly caught behind. The Cambridgeshire wicket keeper who took both catches, turned out to be Lee Thomason, the brother of
Aaron Thomason, who has recently left Warwickshire to join Sussex.
Another wicket fell quickly when Grey, from Northern CC at Crosby, also departed for nought, but Greg Platten from Cockermouth, re-appearing for the county after a few years absence, gave Davidson good support with a useful 26 before falling lbw to the perservering Rippington, the left arm opening bowler from Cambridge University. This made it 114-4, but the tide then turned back in the home side's favour with a 120 partnership between Davidson and Jacques du Toit, the Cumberland skipper in the absence of Gary Pratt.
Du Toit the former Leicestershire county player, who joined Cumberland from Northumberland last season, soon set about the Cambridgeshire bowlers with a flurry of boundaries and the scoring rate improved considerably. He had almost caught up with Davidson, who was playing the sheet anchor role, when the introduction of off-spinner Calum Guest, yet another Cambridge University man, saw him caught and bowled for a fine 75.
When Davidson eventually went for 86, which had taken him almost four hours, Cumberland were
252-6 and the tail, apart from a quick fire 37 from Cockermouth's Alex Grainger, rather disintegrated against the spin of Guest and Rob Sayer, formerly with Leicestershire. Guest finished with 4-51 and might have been introduced sooner into the attack.
We were not present for the last two days of the match when the game petered out into a rain effected draw on Tuesday. However Cambridge replied with 229 all out of which Thomason made 104 not out. Gareth Wade, who has played for Northants, was the pick of the bowlers with 5-72. Cumberland then declared on 236-4 in their second innings, with a further century from Du Toit, and Cambridge were left with a target of 305 to win. With Cumberland looking set for victory after good bowling by Grey, Cambridge recovered from 97-6 to the relative safety of 173-6 when the game ended in a draw due to rain.
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