Double celebration for Lanercost

By Mike Latham

Last Saturday was quite a pivotal day for Lanercost Cricket Club on the last Saturday of the Eden Valley League season.

Their First XI was chasing championship honours in the Premier Division, while their Second XI faced a vital First Division relegation clash at Carleton.

I managed to catch action in both of their games on a distinctly autumnal day with rain threatening from dark low clouds. I’ve always worked on the theory that the best games towards the end of the season are those with something at stake, and these both fit the bill.

Lanercost’s ground is beautiful, located in a peaceful, rural village in the Irthing valley, close to the Augustinian Lanercost Priory and Hadrian’s Wall, about 12 miles north-east of Carlisle. I’d last visited during their time as a club in the North Lancashire & Cumbria League a dozen years or so ago, and since then they’ve made various impressive ground improvements.

Lanercost CC’s impressive pavilion

The pavilion has had a major makeover while an electronic scoreboard proudly stands at the far end of the ground near the sightscreen. Car Parking is available at the adjoining primary school. For such a sparsely populated area, the club does superbly well to run two senior teams on a Saturday as well as a Sunday academy team.

Defending champions Lanercost began the day nine points clear of second placed Appelby Eden and ten points ahead of Wetheral. Lanercost were at home to already relegated Penrith Seconds while Wetheral entertained Appelby Eden a few miles away, with 12 points available for a win and four for an abandoned game.

Dark clouds hover over Lanercost

Despite the threatening weather Lanercost’s game started and their bowlers quickly made inroads, with Callum Kennedy, Ryan Proud and Doug Hope all among the wickets and a run out contributing to Penrith’s problems.

It took a hard-hit, unbeaten 33 from captain Martyn Crouch to help his side post a decent total. Coming in at 65 for 4, Crouch saw his side reduced to 84 for 7 before adding 39 with Stefan Carp whose innings of 8 was far more valuable than the scorecard initially suggests. Penrith reached 123 for 8 in their 40 overs, a total considered by the locals to be well within Lanercost’s compass.

So it proved after my departure as Ross Wilson’s 45 and unbeaten 20s from captain Matthew Brown and Jack Mitchelson saw the home side safely defend their title, despite the early alarm of being reduced to 21 for 2. Their victory, with six wickets in hand, was completed in the 23^rd over.

Meanwhile Appelby Eden confirmed runners-up spot by defeating Wetheral by 58 runs.

Along the A69 into Carlisle, a vital game at Carleton was developing.

Carleton’s ground, located just off the A6 Scotland Road, is shared with the Creighton rugby union club and known as the Parklands.

Carleton CC’s Parklands ground, shared with Creighton RU club

I’d been to the area in the past to visit the county archives where many of Cumberland CCC’s scorebooks and other historical documents are held. The former ground of the defunct Carlisle Border Raiders Rugby League side, at Gillford Park, now the home of Northern League soccer club Carlisle City is also not far away.

The Creighton rugby club, whose pitch is railed-off and separate to the cricket field, had started their season with a home game against Cockermouth and many of the spectators had stayed behind to watch a fascinating cricket match unfold as the weather brightened.

Carleton began the game second bottom with 102pts, while Lanercost Seconds had 110pts. At tea the visitors had been bowled out for 101 in 32.5 overs, no3 bat Lawrence Baldwin making a valuable unbeaten 35.

Carleton began their reply confidently with several of their batters making starts but unable to convert the into the big score needed to see them to a comfortable victory.

Carleton looked set for victory until a late collapse

Lanercost bowled and fielded tightly and keenly but at 92 for 4 Carelton looked home and hosed. In a remarkable finish, however, the Lanercost opening bowler Sam Bradshaw came back for a second spell and wreaked havoc. He finished with seven wickets, including the last two in two balls, as Carleton were bowled out for 99 to lose by two runs.

It was therefore a double celebration for Lanercost as their first team retained the title, while their seconds staved off relegation in a dramatic fashion.

The Eden Valley League includes two Scottish sides, Langholm and the Dumfries-based St Michaels, who won the second division title in their second season in the competition. The league covers a wide geographical area and among its member clubs are some of the most picturesque grounds in the country. I aim to write more about this excellent league in the coming months.