Keswick 1st X1 Results

28/8

A proud day in the club's history

All's well that ends well. After a disappointing defeat on a
technicality that had more to do with the weather than ability and a
true contest between two teams, Keswick bowed out of the Thwaites Bitter
County Cup at the semi-final stage last Sunday. But then the very next
day this essentially young team, playing its third game in three days
remember, produced a scintillating performance to defeat seasoned cup
campaigners Cleator in the final of the North Lancashire Cricket
League's most prestigious trophy competition (and for most clubs
the one which really matters) at the Ernest Valentine Ground,
Workington.

A sizeable contingent of Keswick CC supporters made the journey to the
West Cumbrian coast (for the second time after the 'first' Higson
Cup final fell foul of the weather) and they were delighted to share in
the team's jubilation.
Personally, the highlight of the day for me was the sheer joy shown by
Keswick captain Imran Khan when he lifted the trophy, gave it a kiss and
then returned beaming like a man who has just won the Lottery * to
share his happiness with his equally delirious team mates.
This was some day for Keswick Cricket Club and a moment of great
personal achievement for the 1st X1 captain Imran who also * as well
as the winners trophy won the Man of the Match award for his innings
of 87 and an economic bowling performance of 0/22 from nine overs.
But Imran would be the first to agree that this was a great team
performance. In truth, Keswick, after losing the toss and being asked to
bat first, did not bat particularly well and, had it not been for their
leader, the 1st X1 would have been in dire straits. The 'old'
soldier of this team, Neil Swainson, hit 18 and occupied the crease in
an invaluable partnership with Imran and then Mansaoor, coming in
at No5, scored a useful 37. After that, Andrew Bryson (13) was the only
other batsman in double figures.
In the final analysis, Keswick reached 182 all out from off 43.2 overs
of the allotted 45 with Ian Clark Cleator's most successful bowler
with a return of 4/24 from 8.2 overs. At the break many people felt that
Keswick were 20 to 30 runs short and would be beaten. I didn't think
so, I felt Keswick had enough on the board, would win the match and said
so . . . thank goodness I was proved right!
When Cleator came to the crease they could not have gifted Keswick a
better start. Off the very first delivery the potentially dangerous
Robert Mason was on strike and a delivery from Joe Gibson hit his pads
and ran towards Jamie D'Leny who was virtually on the fine leg
boundary. The two batsmen appeared to saunter through for the first run
and then, amazingly, hesitated before going back for the second.
D'Leny attacked the ball and sent in a low flying rocket of a throw
and his older brother Chris had the bails off with Mason well short of
his ground. Woomph! 1/1 and the Keswick players were in ecstasy at this
early break through. A dejected Mason trudged off to the pavilion, his
bat held in front of his eyes as if to obscure the enormity of the
mistake he had just made.
The writing was on the wall there and then.
Cleator had a let off when their No1 batsman Darren Clark was dropped
by Jamie D'Leny in the fourth over but then Stuart Dowson, who bowled
exceptionally well (no balls not included) to return an analysis of 2/25
from eight, got his team mate out of jail free when he pinned Clark LBW.
15/2. Eureka!
Two overs later and Neil Swainson swooped like a swallow at cover to
catch Palav Kumar off the bowling of Joe Gibson. 16/3 after six overs.
Fantastic!

No sooner had the celebrations subsided than the experienced middle
order batsman Ian Clark was also making his way back to the pavilion
after getting an outside edge to a delivery from Dowson with Chris
D'Leny, standing up, taking a smart catch. 21/4. I don't believe
it!
Cleator then went into minor recovery mode with professional Tabar Khan
and Jordan Clark putting together a solid if unspectacular partnership.
John Bryson Jnr put down a chance in the slips off the professional and
as Cleator progressed to 78/4 it appeared that Keswick might, just
might, be letting their advantage slip.
Enter The Borrowdale Bucket!
Stuart Dowson, frae deepest Borrowdale, had already taken a couple of
high, difficult catches over the weekend so he was in confident mood as
Jordan Clark hit a steepling ball in his direction to the long on
boundary. But this, remember, was a cup final and the baying hordes of
the Cleator support were in front of the pavilion urging Dowson to spill
the catch. But once the ball entered the Borrowdale Bucket, ie
Dowson's big mits, there was no way that it was going to escape.
Pressure? No pressure, this lad'll catch owt. The catch was taken,
Dowson and his team mates celebrated as if the cup was already won and Cleator were 78/6 and reeling. Heavens above!

Not long after Dowson was at it again. Khan, who had already hit one
massive six attempted to repeat the treatment against the bowling of
Darren Collin. But the ball held up marginally in the breeze, had too
much elevation, and The Borrowdale Bucket was there again to pouch it
safely. Hysteria! Cleator seven down and the game almost won.
Big hitting Simon Wilson (21) enjoyed a productive partnership with
David Bell (who was undefeated on 41 at the close) and struck one ball
clean out of the ground and over the Brewery wall. But then he perished
as the run rate became increasingly demanding, Darren Collin taking a
difficult swirling catch on the cover point boundary. Eight down and, to
all intents and purposes it was over. Other batsmen came and went as
Chris D'Leny took a stumping and a catch, and Keswick's only scare
came with an ill-timed shower at the death.
Fortunately, it didn't last long and the overs elapsed with Cleator
on 166/9 . . . just 16 runs short of the Keswick total but, in reality,
it might as well have been 100. This was a comprehensive victory. And it
more than made up for last year's thumping at the hands of Workington
and their New Zealand professional who had the unique pleasure of
watching the team he had scored a magnificent double century against the
previous season, now lifting the cup that he won single handedly the
previous year.

This, of course, was the first time that Keswick have won the Higson
Cup and it is a fine achievement considering that they have not been in
the North Lancashire League all that long and have only been eligible
for the competition in recent seasons since their promotion to the
Premier Division of the league. So that's good going by any
standards.
To put the win into perspective I was talking to former Cumberland and
Westmorland Herald Editor, John Hurst, on the day after the final. He
was unaware that Keswick had won, and on hearing the news congratulated
the club on their victory and then told me that his club, Penrith CC,
have never, ever won the Higson Cup despite having appeared in the final
on at least nine occasions. Whoops! I think that's 0/9.
Finally, with regard to the final, I have to congratulate Keswick's
supporters on their wonderful support. Special thanks to Geordie Marrs
for 'opening' the new branch of Wetherspoons in Workington and to
KCC head groundsman and 1st X1 scorer Brian Pattinson ("half of
Keswick's got it") for the grandiose length of his sports jacket and
the unforgettable speech he made (not) on receiving his winners medal
despite suffering from a bad bout of something akin to laryngitis. I
never thought I would see the day when Brian would be lost for words,
and I still haven't . . .
S

eriously, this was a very proud day for Keswick Cricket Club and all
associated with the club and it was good to see so many players and
supporters at The Ernest Valentine Ground for this great, great day in
the club's history. Let's hope there are many more to come. Starting
with the league championship in 2007!

27/8

County cup exit

The previous day, the 1st X1 lost their Thwaites Bitter County Cup
semi-final encounter against Millom, at Fitz Park, when the match was
ruined by the rain and comparisons between the scoring rate of the
respective innings over the first 10 overs produced a result in
Millom's favour.
In truth, Keswick were in a Catch 22 situation when they went to the
crease. Chasing a total of 209 to win the batsmen could never be
absolutely sure whether or not the game was going to go the full
distance. If it did so the Keswick innings needed a more measured
approach. If rain looked imminent * and we had virtually clear blue
sky as Keswick started their innings * then the pace needed to be
accelerated and some risks taken in order to reach 53 off the first 10
overs.
There was also the small matter of a Millom attack which was really
producing the goods and making life difficult for Keswick's early
batsman. Too many risks would have resulted in terminal wicket loss and
there was no guarantee that the match would go the full distance or at
least to 30 overs, if the light became a serious factor as was always
likely to be the case.
In short it was a difficult one to call and Keswick were caught between
a rock and a hard place. They lost out in the final analysis despite a
potentially match-winning knock of 32 from middle order batsman Chris
D'Leny and three more terrific catches from the Borrowdale Bucket.

Fortunately, Keswick CC's misery in the rain was soon replaced by
happiness in the wintry gloom of a cool and breezy Workington evening
just 24 hours later. In any event that county cup setback gives Keswick
something else to aim for next season. The county cup and the league
championship would make for a pleasant double.

26/8

Century for JB Jnr

The first game in Keswick 1st X1's three game epic weekend was a
league encounter against Vickerstown at Fitz Park on the Saturday and it
was marked by a century for Keswick opener and vice captain John Bryson
Jnr. His 103 * a superb knock by all accounts * contributed to a
Keswick total of 259/7 of which the captain Imran Khan made 62 and
Andrew Bryson, 28, the latter batting at No7.
Vickerstown have in their ranks the West Indian A team fast bowler
Kenroy Peters who made 56 before being bowled by Keswick 1st X1 debutant
James Hinckley.
Stuart Dowson, who, amazingly, did not take a catch in this match,
again returned formidable figures of 3/18 from eight. Jamie D'Leny,
who also put in a valiant performance for Keswick over the three days
despite his troublesome back, ankle, fetlock and parrot, hit 20 not
out.
Vickerstown finished on 151/9 and are sure to be relegated to Division
One where they will now have the profound pleasure of playing Keswick
2nd X1 in 2007. For the record Keswick are now seventh in the Premier
Division and can overhaul Furness with strong performances in their last
two games . . . away to Millom this Saturday and then at home to
Cockermouth in the final game of the season.
That last match could have a strong bearing on the outcome of the
league title with Cockermouth currently leading the table by 14 points,
although it might be all over bar the shouting after this weekend.

12/8

1st X1 get set for the long weekend

A five wicket return for Keswick CC professional Mansoor Ahmed (5/29 from 13 overs in fact) was the foundation stone for the 1st X1's comprehensive victory at Tynefield Park, Penrith, last Saturday, a win that could have consigned the home team to relegation and the prospect of crossing swords with Keswick 2nd X1 in the First Division of the North Lancashire League next season; something for them to look forward to.
With just four league fixtures remaining Penrith have some difficult games in prospect over the last three weekends of the season and their body language on Saturday suggested that they may have given up the ghost although there is still a mathematical possibility that they could overhaul the 22 point deficit that currently roots them in the two team relegation zone. Keswick, on the other hand, are now sitting pretty in sixth place with the opportunity * over the next two weeks certainly with games against Lindal Moor and bottom club Vickerstown on the horizon * to climb higher in the league and then play a crucial role in the outcome of the championship race with games at Millom (September 2) and at home to Cockermouth on the last day of the season (September 9).
Before those final two league games of course, there is the small matter of Keswick's long weekend of the 26th, 27th and 28th of August when the 1st X1 is at home to Vickerstown in the league on the Saturday, entertain Millom in the semi-final of the Thwaites Bitter County Cup final on the Sunday and then travel to the Ernest Valentine Ground, Workington, on the August Bank Holiday Monday, for the rearranged final of the Higson Cup. Phew!

There will be some tired limbs and minds after that little lot but the pain could be eased considerably if the outcome is three victories.
Nor should we forget the 2nd X1's continued interest in the John Scott Memorial Trophy and a tie in the latter stages still beckons against Kendal 2nds, on Sunday, September 10.

In the 1st X1 league game at Penrith last Saturday, young players Jamie D'Leny and Stuart Dowson showed that the radar was fully operational . They opened the attack and both bowled exceptionally well with Jamie striking an early blow, his older brother, wicket keeper Chris taking the catch behind. Then the spin kings, Mansoor Ahmed and his captain Imran Khan reduced the home side to ruins, the professional taking those five wickets and Imran 3/29 as Penrith were blown away for 101. Keswick went on to win by eight wickets on 102/2 with Imran 35 not out after openers Darren Collin (32) and John Bryson (27) had all but put the game beyond the home team.

5/8

D'Leny brothers find winning ways

Keswick 1st X1 were elevated to the lofty position of sixth in the Premier Division of the North Lancashire League and a massive 42 points from the drop zone thanks to a thrilling last over victory over Dalton before a large crowd at a sultry Fitz Park last Saturday evening. Hero of the hour in the final analysis was Tom Blakely who has alternated between 1st and 4th X1s this season but who showed a cool head in a crisis situation when he smote a four off the third ball of the Australian Justin Quint's final over. That tied the scores and then Blakely and wicketkeeper Chris D'Leny raced through for a scrambled single with just three balls of the game remaining, to win the match and claim a priceless 18 points.
Apart from Blakely's last minute heroics, the real providers of this important win were Keswick captain Imran Khan who hit 68 at No3 and No6 batsman Chris D'Leny, 41 not out, who settled in and then used his trademark pull off the back foot to good effect; much to the delight of a jubilant grandfather, John Bell, frae Bassenthwaite, who was prowling the boundary on the museum side of the ground.
What is it about dads and grandfathers when it comes to watching their off spring playing cricket? It seems to reduce them to nervous wrecks; David Hindmarch is no different when it comes to watching Paul or Stephen in action. Still, the joy and sense of relief when all goes well must be enormous.
Over on the River Greta side of the ground, Geordie Marrs and other spectators were once again amazed that yet another Keswick victory had gone so perilously close to the wire. It seems that all Keswick teams this season are on a mission to cause their followers the greatest anxiety excitement; take your pick but it's probably a good measure of both.
This was really D'Leny's day because earlier in the piece he had taken two catches and a stumping, one of these being the priceless wicket of the lanky Quint and this off the bowling of his younger brother Jamie. The brothers are apparently showing no signs of a negative reaction to their meandering, waterborn journey to Haverigg the previous week but were looking forward immensely to watching Scott's Race to the Pole on TV on the Sunday evening.
The fact that Sunday's Higson Cup final at Workington's Ernest Valentine Ground on the Sunday afternoon fell victim to the weather without a ball being bowled, enabled them to get back to Bassenthwaite in plenty of time to see the show. It seems likely that the final will now be staged, at the same venue, on August Bank Holiday Monday, although confirmation of the date was still required earlier this week.
Still with the game against Dalton, it would be remiss of me not to mention the excellent bowling of left arm over merchant Joe Gibson who took 4/41 from 11 overs. Fellow opening bowler Stuart Dowson did not take a wicket but went for only seven runs from the five overs he bowled.
Incidentally, I am happy to report that all Keswick personnel made their way to Workington without any problems on Sunday and that no one ended up in the Isle of Man. Although I did wonder if JB Snr, spotted buying a consignment of bananas for the 1st X1 in Booths on Sunday morning, might have had a more exotic location in mind.

29/8

We're on the road to nowhere . . .

There are not many occasions when a Keswick cricket team, or members of it, lose their way enroute to a cricket match. Most people who have played for KCC for some time know their way to places as far afield as Culgaith or Gamblesby in the Eden Valley League, in which Threlkeld and Blencathra now compete, or Vickerstown or Lanercost in the North Lancashire Premier and First Divisions, in which Keswick 1sts and 2nds take part, bless their little cotton socks.
There have been occasions in the past when journeys to and from matches have been highly eventful. There was the memorable time many seasons ago, for instance, when we (when I say we I think it was Graham Stephenson on another of his economy drives) hired the services (free) of local artist Paul Wilmott for a 1st X1 trip to Wigton. When Wilmott's charabang only just managed to negotiate the bend into Crosthwaite Road at the bottom end of town and did in fact take the wrong option at the junction, there were several members of the entourage who wanted to bail out before reaching the outskirts of town.
We got to Wigton in one piece, if slightly sore in the under carriage department because of some extremely unforgiving wooden seating in the Wilmottmobile. After a stop off in Ireby on the return journey the aforementioned artist disappeared for what seemed an eternity into a nearby friend's house and then emerged light years later in what might be described as an abstract frame of mind; presumably he had been discussing Impressionism. Mind you, we were not particularly coherent either after our sojourn in the pub.
Over the years I have managed to close my eyes, say a few prayers and see my entire life pass before me in the space of a few seconds as opening batsman John Webster crested the brow of another hill on a narrow country lane in his latest super deluxe, high speed Bond car while simultaneously waxing lyrical about the latest quality confectionary to be accepted into the portals of that heavenly chocolate emporium, Ye Olde Friars.
We have lift off . . !
And then, although this has nothing in particular to do with the mode of transport, there was the time when I arrived at the traditional County Corner / Southey Street departure point for away matches wearing the garb of an elderly Cumbrian farmer complete with broken glasses held together with tape, a waist coat, piece of straw in teeth, a binding twine belt, collarless shirt, cloth cap, and ill-fitting braces and breeks. I had been misled into believing that it was going to be fancy dress for the last game of the season, away to Carlisle 1st X1 at Edenside. Unfortunately, I was the only one to turn up suitably attired.
Still, I saw it through, survived an intoxicating close encounter with some hairy bikers in a pub at Thursby and had an even more unsettling experience when I was confronted by a farmer dressed identically to myself in The Greyhound at Bothel. Happy days.
However, we are always looking for fresh material with regard to stories of Keswick CC trips to foreign parts in hot pursuit of a game of cricket and this week one fell into my lap. It concerns the meandering and multifaceted car journey made by Messrs Chris D'Leny, James D'Leny and late replacement Graham Marshall for the 1st X1's North Lancashire Premier League game at Haverigg last Saturday. Most players travelling to Haverigg appreciate that it's just along the road from Millom and if you do get lost you can always ask a prisoner absconding from the nearby Haverigg Open Prison; they're the ones with crow's feet uniforms and ankle chains (sorry, I exaggerate, the latter is only in America.)
The normal route for most cricketers from Keswick is to head for Ambleside, Coniston and then over the top to Millom and on to sunny Haverigg. With a fair wind it shouldn't take you much longer than an hour and a half, probably less. With John Webster you could, conceivably, be there before you set off.
Anyway, back to our intrepid trio. Chris D'Leny, CJ to one and all, was navigating from the front passenger seat, complete with map, Jamie D'Leny was panicking quietly in the back and Graham Marshall was Jensen Button.
Everything appeared to be going swimmingly until the entourage arrived at Bowness on Windermere where Chris D'Leny swore blind that he had seen a road sign for Coniston and they were heading in the right direction even though they were in a very long queue of slow moving vehicles. In fact for long periods the queue did not move at all and then all of a sudden it would make quite steady progress before stopping again for a further 20 minutes or so. Perhaps there was an accident or roadworks ahead? The plot thickened.
Concerned that time was slipping away (Jamie was really panicking by this stage apparently) and that the match at Haverigg would be starting soon (2pm) it was decided that the CJ should find out the exact nature of the delay. "I may be some time . . . ," he could have said, but probably didn't, before venturing forth into the traffic.
CJ returned with the bad news that further down the road the line of traffic was in fact flanked by water and that the queue was for the ferry to Hawkshead and, subsequently . . . the road to Coniston. He had misread the sign. Oops!
The trio beat a hasty retreat and sought an alternative route which involved a lot more exceedingly dodgy navigation and wrong turns before they eventually arrived at Haverigg CC late in the day and with Keswick in the field with eight men and minus a wicketkeeper. Norman Stanley Fletcher would not be amused.
The story has, of course, now been added to the annals of KCC transport folklore and all members will soon receive a complimentary copy of the ferry timetable for future reference.
On the cricket field, the game itself fell foul of the weather. Haverigg batted first and made 225/2 with replacement professional S Joshi 123. In reply, Keswick were 27/2 when the rain came and stayed.
I am reliably informed that CJ and gang took a more direct and traditional route yam.

23/7

Bryson Jnr at his brilliant best as Keswick defeat Northern League Kendal

The occasions on which a North Lancashire League side has defeated a Northern League team at full strength are few and far between and in the case of Keswick Cricket Club it has never happened. Not until last Sunday that is. On a sunny Fitz Park and in front of a large crowd of locals and visitors, Keswick Cricket Club 1st X1 * and not the strongest Keswick 1st X1 at that * succeeded in defeating a formidable looking Northern League Kendal team by four wickets and in doing so progressed to the semi-final of the Thwaites Bitter County Cup.

The Keswick team, rapidly developing into cup specialists, will now play fellow NLL Premier League club Millom in the semi-final at Fitz Park, having already booked their place in the North Lancashire League's premier cup competition, the Higson, in which they will play Cleator at Workington's Ernest Valentine Ground on Sunday, August 6.

It could be that Keswick * should they defeat Millom * may face Cleator in the final of that competition as well because the West Cumbrians are in the other side of the draw. Cleator meet Cockermouth this Sunday and the winners will play current NLL leaders Workington in the other semi-final.

Happy days are here again . . . and Fitz Park was certainly a very happy place to be last Sunday if you were a Keswick supporter. When Kendal arrived at Fitz Park for the match they resembled a World X1 rather than a team out of old Westmorland. It was a case of spot the 'home grown' player as Kendal paraded a team made up largely of players of Pakistani or West Indian origin. Of the first seven players who came out to bat only one was an ethnic Cumbrian and there was a large contingent of Pakistani support for the visiting team.

I suppose it made a change from the days when Luke Wimbridge was a player for Keswick and the 1st X1 * with me in it * which succeeded in winning the Cumbria Cricket League in 1995, contained any amount of South Africans, Australians and a Kiwi. In that season it was another case of spot the ethnic Cumbrian and visiting teams arrived at Fitz Park with floppy hats from which corks dangled from string. Very funny.
So what Kendal appear to be doing now is not a lot different from what Keswick did back in '95, except Kendal are drawing on players of Asian and West Indian origin rather than Boers and Australasians.

But enough of the geography exam,. Before play began I gained the distinct impression that Kendal came to Keswick feeling that they only had to turn up in order to make progress to the semi-final and the attractive prize money that goes with reaching that stage of the competition. Oops!

I must admit that my confidence in the Keswick team from the outset was not strong. Missing were regular bowler and all rounder Joe Gibson (on Minor Counties duty with Cumberland against Bedfordshire in Luton * they were hammered) opening bat Stephen Hindmarch (Carlisle Utd duties) and Stuart Dowson.

Paul Hindmarch only made it because Junior Coach John Bryson Snr was prepared to hop across country to Durham and bring the player back especially for the match (otherwise you might have had me limping round the oval), while Simon Grisdale was put into the role of opening bowler and Andy Clark stepped up from the 2nd X1 and bowled eight overs. Andy , of course, is still traumatised from the two over malleting he received in last season's Higson Cup final.
> Keswick captain Imran Khan reckoned pre-match that his team's only hope was to keep Kendal under 250 and then bat with real purpose and, let's face it, probably above themselves, to get the winning runs against a visiting attack that included Pakistani pace bowler Kabir Khan.

The first part of the task was achieved when Kendal were restricted to 244/7 from their 40 overs, still a formidable total with West Indian Terry Hunte hitting 49, opener Ullah 58 and Kabir Khan 50. At one stage it looked as though Kendal might make 280 plus and it was thanks to Keswick's efforts (although I have to say that at times they looked very flat in the field) and a degree of complacency from the visitors that they failed to do so. Batsmen repeatedly strolled through for singles when greater purpose would have brought more runs. Keswick's bowlers all stuck to their task.

Even then, you doubted at tea whether Keswick had the fire power to make Kendal pay dearly. But then, as soon as play resumed and Kendal made the tactical ploy (or again was it a case of misguided complacency?) of starting out with bowlers who were clearly not the principal weapons in their armoury, the runs flowed from the very first ball and Keswick were off and running.

Opener and vice captain John Bryson Jnr went on to play the innings of his life and I have nothing but praise for a batsman who over the last two weekends has grown into a stroke maker of such stature that he should * if he continues to apply himself in this vein for the remainder of his playing career (and there are many days ahead) - win many more accolades for his mixture of resolute defence and attacking flair. John, lad, you were brilliant and I reckon you would have gone on to hit a richly deserved century had you not succumbed to the effects of heat exhaustion and dehydration in the latter stages of your innings.

What a century that would have been, certainly one of the best ever to have been seen in a Keswick cause at Fitz Park and scored in the first memorable win by a Keswick team over a Northern League side. Such is the stuff of local legend and local heroes.

Still, your fabulous 91 was enough at the end of the day to carry Keswick home and if I have one other abiding memory, John, of this fantastic game it was of your captain, Imran Khan, pacing around the pavilion walkway like a caged tiger on the prowl and continually shouting out words of encouragement to you and whoever you were batting with at the time as the Keswick team drew ever nearer to a remarkable victory.
The part played by wicketkeeper and No5 batsman Chris D'Leny in this epic victory should not be forgotten. At the start of the season Chris was locked in battle with Imran for the right to be captain of Keswick 1st X1. Now they are locked in celebration and, I trust, mutual admiration as Keswick continue their marvellous campaign on not one but two cup fronts.

D'Leny hit 46 (he earlier claimed two stumpings) and together with club professional Mansoor Ahmed (38 invaluable runs) * who each shared in vital partnerships with the stoic John Bryson * played important roles in taking Keswick towards an eventual winning total of 245/6 with Glen Weightman and Paul Hindmarch enjoying the privilege of being at the wicket when the winning runs came; something of an anti climax as the winning run came from a wide bowled by David Fallows. Still they all count!
In truth, Kendal's fielding was generally very poor but their biggest sin, I felt, was in failing to treat this Keswick team with the respect they deserved. Kendal, also, despite all their banter and hilarity during the pre match warm up, appeared not to play as a team.
Keswick Cricket Club has come on tremendously in recent seasons. Yes, there have been setbacks along the way and not everything is always rosy in the camp (that tends, unfortunately, to be the nature of cricket and cricket clubs, OK life as well for that matter) but a yardstick of how far the club has progressed is, I feel, this victory over Kendal. It sent out a strong message.
One result can make all the difference and just as England's Ashes success last summer was a cause for celebration nationally and a spur to the game in general, this Keswick win on a local stage over Northern League opposition, said to me more than any other single development at the club in recent years, that Keswick had arrived. John Scott would have loved it . .

22/7

Unfortunately, in a full dress rehearsal for August 6's Higson Cup final, Keswick lost at home to Cleator in the North Lancashire League Premier Division on the previous day. Captain Imran Khan top scored with 73 and Joe Gibson, batting at No9, hit a useful 31 not out as Keswick reached 211/9 from their 50 overs. Significantly, Paval Kumar who preferred to join Cleator as opposed to Keswick a few weeks back, failed to make any impression on one of Brian Pattinson's washed and ironed shirt front tracks and went for 52 from seven.
> However, where Kumar had clearly not enjoyed bowling, Cleator's batsmen thrived with the bat, especially openers Darren Clark (108) and Stephen Wishart (73) who fell to a brilliant catch from John Phillips. Imran Khan was Keswick's best bowler taking 2/32 from 15. This defeat reduces Keswick to eighth place in the league, 58 points from leading club Workington but, more importantly, 35 points clear of Penrith in the second relegation spot with seven league matches remaining.

16/7

The greatest game

Oh my. It was the most remarkable game by any standard and, as I said to the players in the immediate aftermath of an elated if mentally and physically exhausted away dressing room, it was probably the best fighting performance I have ever witnessed from a Keswick cricket team; such was the enormity of their victory in reaching the final of the Higson Cup for the second successive season in defeating Penrith at a tropical Tynefield Park last Sunday evening.
Getting to the final again is reason enough for acclaim but it was the manner in which this young Keswick team did so that defied belief. Watching the game as a spectator was thrilling to say the least and 1st X1 scorer and KCC head groundsman Brian Pattinson * under close arrest from an on-the-loose Rottweiler in the Penrith scorebox (the dog belonged to Brian's fellow scorer from Penrith) - was in such a state that he maintains that he was having difficulty gripping his pencil in the nerve-tingling final stages of a truly great game. And it wasn't anything to do with the Rottweiler.
Doubtless it wasn't that great if you were from Penrith, a club which may now be destined not only to miss out on the North Lancashire League's premier cup competition, but also to lose its place in the NLL Premier Division if current form and performances are maintained to the end of the season. They must be favourites along with Vickerstown to return to whence they came and face renewed battles with Keswick 2nd X1 in the NLL First Division come 2007.
The celebrations which greeted the Keswick victory, and it was in doubt until the very last over, were long and loud with Andy Clark in particularly good voice and doing a fair imitation of a Blencathra huntsman's holler. In fact, if ever the hunt needs a new whipper-in then I would suggest that they look no further than Trinity Way.
A strong following of supporters from Keswick enjoyed the sunshine, the beer and the celebrations from their position on the wall side of the ground but they must have thought that the game was up with Penrith on 160/3 in pursuit of a total of 182 and needing 23 more to win from 25 balls. It should have been a walk in the park and Penrith had certainly enjoyed all the luck as Keswick were denied a call for a catch behind for the crucial wicket of the Penrith professional, the Sri Lankan Upul Fernando. The Keswick players around the bat were convinced that the player had gloved it but the umpire decided otherwise. Unfortunately, the decision did nothing to engender good diplomatic relations between the players * especially KCC wicket keeper Chris D'Leny and Fernando * and the situation was certainly not helped when another Penrith batsman, Martin Challoner, was also given the benefit of the doubt on another apparent caught behind. Keswick players were bewildered when the decision went against them.
But once the decision has been made the players must get on with the game.
On the question of a batsman's standpoint in these situations if he has not made contact then he can proceed with a clear conscience. However, a batsman invariably knows when he has got an edge or gloved the ball * there is no mistaking the contact on bat or glove - and it is then up to the player himself to decide whether he is prepared to stay at the crease in the full knowledge he has been 'dismissed' and is effectively cheating for the remainder of his innings.
I can recall a time when the vast majority of batsmen walked, it was considered to be in the spirit of the game. Now they are probably in the minority and players at amateur level are, sadly, taking their lead from international players they see on TV who usually never walk unless given out by the umpire. Some players, indeed, have had the temerity to stand their ground in circumstances when it is quite clear to everyone that they are out.
Still the situation at Penrith last Sunday * and I am not saying that the umpires got it wrong (I wasn't out there in the middle) - made what followed all the more enjoyable, although we could have done without the unseemly confrontation between a bat waving Fernando and Chris D'Leny that ensued later in the piece when, clearly, more words were exchanged, and required the intervention of the umpires. Challoner fell to a fine boundary catch from Stuart Dowson from the off spin of Keswick captain Imran Khan and the danger man Fernando, who had made 63 and was poised to win the game for his team, hooked a bouncer from Darren Collin and skied it into the safe hands of Stephen Hindmarch. Both these important catches were taken at backward square leg.
With Fernando departed, Penrith collapsed in some style * they lost six wickets for 12 runs - and were 10 runs short on 172 when the innings closed and the Keswick celebrations began. You had to be there to appreciate the enormity of this win and the scale of Penrith's demise.
The Keswick fight back in the Penrith innings was remarkable in itself but even more astounding * and perhaps forgotten in the initial excitement of the win * was that this was a game in which Keswick had to show their mettle not once but twice. Batting first Keswick lost three quick wickets but two magnificent innings, one from young opener Stephen Hindmarch (47 runs) and team vice captain John Bryson Jnr who came in at No6 and hit an impressive 57 enabled the visitors to reach a respectable total of 182 all out; the innings closing with a run out off the very last ball of the 45 overs. Earlier professional Mansoor Ahmed had scored an invaluable 23.
At the interval I always felt that Keswick were still likely to win, provided they got rid of Penrith's key batsmen, Fernando and the opener Andrew Hall. My prediction of an eventual Keswick win came true in the final analysis but there was no way that I, or anyone else, could possibly have foreseen the astonishing game that unfolded at Tynefield Park, Penrith, last Sunday evening, and the amazing manner in which that victory was achieved. Phew . . . what a scorcher.
This was captain Imran Khan and his young Keswick team's finest hour. I doubt whether any of these players will ever again take part in another game of such intensity and fluctuating fortunes. Let's hope that Keswick can now go on and win the final. Keswick meet Cleator (conquerors of Haverigg) in that final to be played at Workington's Ernest Valentine Ground on Sunday, August 6 (2pm). It promises to be an interesting encounter. Cleator will include Palav Kumar who only a couple of weeks ago was expressing a strong interest in coming to Keswick but who ultimately opted instead to join Cleator. Incidentally, Cleator are the visitors to Fitz Park this Saturday in the league.
Still with the cup competitions, Keswick 1stX1 is again in action this Sunday, at Fitz Park, in the semi-final of the Thwaites Bitter County Cup when their opponents are Northern League Kendal. It promises to be quite some game with Kendal fielding four Pakistanis and a West Indian.

15/7

Keswick also came up with an important result in the North Lancashire Premier League on Saturday when they won at Wigton and gained 18 invaluable points which takes them to sixth place in the league * 52 points behind leaders Workington and 38 points clear of the second relegation place, currently occupied by Penrith.
Wigton batted first and it was the spin kings, Imran Khan (4/33 from 12) and Mansoor Ahmed (4/37 from 15) who combined to dismiss the home side for 137. Simon Grisdale took an astonishing catch to dismiss Aziz off the bowling of Joe Gibson. Opening bowler Stuart Dowson conceded only six runs from the five overs he bowled.
In reply , Darren Collin was again in solid form with 44 and was well supported by his captain on 35. But Keswick lost six wickets in reaching their victory target and, once again, the level-headed vice captain John Bryson Jnr stood firm to make 21 not out and guide Keswick home.

8/7

Raining on our parade

Weatherwise we appear these days to be in either the middle of winter or the middle of summer, there is no in between. Last Saturday - after the scorchio temperatures of the previous weekend - the rain put paid to the majority of games played under the wing of Keswick Cricket Club with only one match * that involving Threlkeld - reaching a conclusion and that, unfortunately, was an unsatisfactory one with the team losing out at Rockcliffe in the Eden Valley League.
The fortunes of the club's 1st, 2nd and 4th X1's (the latter being Blencathra) were all brought to a premature conclusion at a time when it could be argued that all three Keswick teams were in the ascendancy. Certainly, the 2nd and Blencathra teams were looking good for a positive result before the rain put a dampener on proceedings while the 1st X1, on home territory, must have fancied their chances of chasing down a Furness total of 186 / 5 with only three overs of the Furness innings remaining when the rain intervened.
The 1st X1 is away to Wigton in the North Lancashire Premier League this Saturday and then is away on the Sunday at Penrith in the semi-final of the Higson Cup. Cleator play Haverigg in the other semi-final on the same day. Keswick must be in with a better than evens chance of defeating Penrith at Tynefield Park, and will be bolstered by the return on the Sunday of their Durham Academy and Cumberland Minor Counties player, Paul Hindmarch. Keswick's batting line up will also benefit from the inclusion of Stephen Hindmarch and Darren Collin. Simon Grisdale, who made his 1st X1 debut last Saturday and bowled impressively * as did Stuart Dowson - against the Furness opening pair of Majid Jahangir and Glenn Capstick, retains his place in the 1st X1 for the Wigton game but makes way for Paul Hindmarch on the Sunday.
Against Furness, Keswick professional Mansoor Ahmed took four of the five wickets to fall for a return of 4/63. For the record, Keswick's former professional Majid Jahangir was caught by John Bryson Jnr at point but had been put down twice prior to his dismissal. Mark Daly, batting at No3, batted impressively for the visitors, making 68.
Still with the 1st X1, following their progress in the Thwaites Bitter County Cup, Keswick now have the attractive prospect of playing at home to Northern League side Kendal in the quarter final of that competition. This will be a real test for Keswick against a Kendal team which includes four Pakistanis and a West Indian, the latter being former Kent player Terry Hunt.
That one is a game not to be missed and is likely to be played at Keswick a week on Sunday although the fixture date has still to be confirmed.

2/7

County Cup progress

Back with the 1st X1 and the team made further progress in the Thwaites Bitter County Cup when they demolished a weakened Egremont team at a sunny Fitz Park. Keswick, batting first (and perhaps that is something they should do in all matches where conditions are favourable) made a monumental 357/ 4 from their 40 overs and Chris D'Leny, batting at No 4, made his second century in recent Sundays with 112. Openers Darren Collin (56) and John Bryson Jnr (87) paved the way for the massive total and Mansoor Ahmed was 67 not out at the close of the innings.
Egremont were all out for 73 and Stuart Dowson returned the highly impressive figures of 5/17 from seven and Joe Gibson took a stunning one handed reaction catch at first slip.

1/7

Up for the Cups

Ten league fixtures to go and unless there is a marked improvement in the consistency of the 1st X1 it looks very much as though the team and the club would be happy to settle for a mid table position come early September and a place in, hopefully, both the Higson Cup and the Thwaites Bitter County Cup finals. Certainly, it would appear at this stage and on the back of a resounding defeat at The Ernest Valentine Ground, Workington, last Saturday, that the 1st X1 is going to have to rely on its cup fighting qualities for any silverware in 2006.
Although there is still a distance to go, and without wishing to appear defeatist, the league title looks beyond them. In fact there is a danger that the side could be sucked into a relegation struggle and that would have serious implications right down the line.
It was the manner of Saturday's loss at Workington that was so disheartening. The batting, quite simply, capitulated with only Darren Collin at the top of the order on 36 and the captain Imran Khan in double figures. The rest, not including the not out batsman, Andy Clark, fell away as the side was dismissed for 70 and a bit part bowler in Martin Turner returned figures of 5/10 from 4.3 removing Collin and the tail en masse.
And this after the team had performed so heroically in the field, restricting Workington to a very gettable 197 after they had threatened in the early stages to put the game beyond Keswick. Highpoints were three stumpings by Chris D'Leny . The spin twins Mansoor and Imran wheeled away with the best part of 15b overs each to return respectable figures of 3/62 and 3/50 respectively with the professional dismissing the dangerous New Zealand professional Simon Beare for 47, caught and bowled.
Unfortunately, the wheels came off big style after tea and Keswick must now pick themselves up and attempt to carve out an important result against high flying Furness, and messrs Jahangir and Sippy, at Fitz Park this Saturday. It will be a far from easy task, especially with the 1st X1 missing three key players, including the prolific run maker Darren Collin.

24/6

The rain ruins everything

Unfortunately, the rain put paid to the aspirations of Keswick 1st and 2nd X1s on Saturday. Both teams were going well when the weather forecasters decided to get it completely wrong and smother Cumbria in a continual blanket of rain. The 1st X1 was at Cockermouth and was 157/5 with 12 overs of their innings remaining.
Darren Collin has hit a rich vein of form and was 54 while his captain Imran Khan was bowled by his namesake (the new Cockermouth professional A Khan) for 46. Imran also is putting together some sizable innings at the moment and it is a great pity that the rain intervened in what was potentially a win-win situation for Keswick.

17/6

1st X1 at the half way house

Readers of a certain age may remember that there was once a house half
way up the front of Skiddaw where it was possible to buy refreshments.
Clearly, it was long before my time but I have seen faded photographs of
a tin sheeted building (not unlike the old Threlkeld cricket pavilion)
with a Union flag flying from the roof and a door out of which were
dispensed bottles of lemonade and other goodies. Once at the half way
house - where now stands the M6 that passes as a path up the fell - some
people would doubtless decide to press on to the summit while others
might think that enough was enough, admire the view and return to base
camp.
Keswick 1st X1 currently find themselves at the half way house midway
through the 2006 season. Only time will tell whether they go up and take
a tilt at the summit . . . or retreat to the lower slopes of the fell.
There is now a significant gap between Keswick 1st X1 and North
Lancashire Premier League leaders Workington and a very real danger that
a cluster of four clubs (Workington, Haverigg, Cockermouth and Millom)
are starting to break away from the rest. Keswick, after their 36 run
home defeat against league champions Millom on Saturday, are now in mid
table in sixth position with 30 or so points separating them from the
top and bottom of the league. As is often the case with the North
Lancashire League a couple of back to back wins can restore a team's
fortunes and their position in the table quite considerably;
alternatively, two successive defeats can have precisely the opposite
effect.
While this Keswick team is, potentially, championship material, I
don't suppose for one moment that an outfit usually as formidable
as Cleator, runners up in the league last season, expected to find
themselves languishing in a relegation place at the half way stage in
the season; a fact which amply illustrates that the margin between
success and failure in this highly competitive league is deceptively
small and that the trap door awaits the unsuspecting. It is important to
keep picking up the points.
Keswick collected just six last Saturday and now face a challenging
sequence of three league games against Cockermouth (away) this Saturday,
Workington (away July 1) and Furness (home, July 8). I think the outcome
of those three games at this stage of the season will go a long way to
determining how Keswick will fare (league title challengers or
otherwise) for the remainder of the season.
In addition to the league matches there is also the 1st X1's
continued involvement in the Higson Cup and the Thwaites Bitter County
Cup, starting this Sunday with a home game against Vickerstown in the
quarter finals of the Higson Cup (apologies to readers for the
misinformation regarding the county cup in last week's 'Reminder'
* the fixtures were changed after the newspaper went to print).
As I have remarked previously there is often a defining moment in a
cricket match that determines the outcome, sometimes from a very early
stage in the game, and that would appear to have been the case last
Saturday when Millom's New Zealand professional, the opening batsman
Tim McIntosh, was apparently caught behind by wicketkeeper Chris
D'Leny standing up to a Joe Gibson delivery. The umpire shrugged
his shoulders and decided otherwise, the batsman did not walk and went
on to score 123 which, naturally, was important in the context of the
game because it enabled Millom to make 250/5 from their 50 overs.
Keswick's most successful bowler was the professional Mansoor Ahmed
(2/41 from 15) but Joe Gibson (2/55 from 11) will consider himself
unfortunate not to have claimed a third and, as it transpired,
all-important scalp. McIntosh's fellow opener, Swallow, also hit 96 .
. . to counteract the theory that one swallow does not make a summer; in
Millom's case that player is making a significant contribution to his
team's fortunes. Keswick did not help themselves with a couple of
dropped catches and some indifferent ground fielding. The captain also
went for 96 off 15 overs when perhaps turning to his opening pair might
have been more economical and, arguably, more effective; but then
hindsight's a wonderful thing. However, Stuart Dowson might be
wondering why he is in the team if his sole contribution is to bowl an
average of two overs per match?
In reply, Keswick needed at least one batsman to compile a big score
but no one was able to progress beyond the forties, although no fewer
than four batsmen got a reasonable start. While I do not doubt for one
minute that everyone tried their best there does seem to be a tendency
in the club to go for the big shot when a more conservative approach
might prove better in the long run; something that I will touch on in
the 2nd X1 report below.
Eventually the innings deteriorated to 214 all out with Bickerstaffe
dismissing the top four batsmen. So Keswick now have it all to do and
the trip to title chasing Cockermouth this Saturday will present its
fair share of problems; not least the in form ex-Workington player Ken
Kirkwood and Messrs White, Bowen and the professional incorporated.

10/06

Keswick hit 307 as Darren Collin hits century

As soon as batsmen feel the sun on their backs and the wickets harden to produce surfaces that are marble-like in their intensity and sheen then the runs begin to flow. This was certainly the case on Saturday when the blazing sun reduced bowlers and fielders to so many nomads labouring over a seemingly horizonless desert of an innings with the fall of wickets as sporadic as the appearance of an oasis; no wonder some players were hallucinating come early evening.

The batsmen, on the other hand, quenched themselves on runs. No fewer than seven North Lancashire League batsmen – including two from Keswick in Darren Collin and Stephen Bragg – scored centuries and at least seven other batsmen came perilously close to doing so. In all 25 NLL batsmen scored more than 50.

Following their 300-plus total against Appleby in a cup game the previous Sunday, Keswick did it again when they travelled to Vickerstown and batted first against the home team and their West Indies ‘A’ team fast bowler, Kenroy Peters. Opening batsman Darren Collin led the way with a gutsy 101 and he and fellow opener Stephen Hindmarch (86) put on 194 for the first wicket; certainly a record for the club in the North Lancashire League and, quite probably, in the history of the club. Keswick captain Imran Khan and the professional Mansoor Ahmed also scored half centuries as Keswick made a massive 307/4 from their 50 overs.

Vickerstown appeared to be heading for a resounding defeat until Peters hit a defiant 129 to salvage the situation as Vickerstown were glad to settle for a draw on 240/6. Paul Hindmarch was Keswick’s most successful bowler with 2/46 from 12 overs. Keswick got a useful 13 points from the encounter and are now poised in fifth position, just 20 points adrift (one win in effect) of the leaders, Workington. This Saturday the 1^st X1 is at home to fourth placed Millom and then on the Sunday are again at home, to First Division Egremont in the Thwaites Bitter County Cup. I hope Edgar Appleby is now in training for his four laps of the ground this weekend, collection box in hand. Who knows, it could even be shorts weather.

Still with 1st X1 players, Keswick’s wicketkeeper Chris D’Leny played for the Durham Academy in Glasgow in a two day fixture towards the end of last week. While he lost his way with the bat against the spinners, Chris – and this was surely the more important facet of his game on this occasion – produced a near perfect performance with the gloves over a long 90 over day and did not concede a bye.

I sincerely hope – while I do not want to see Keswick lose their best ever keeper – that Durham personnel were sufficiently impressed by Chris’s keeping to take another look at this exciting young player and to, ultimately, give serious consideration to offering him a contract. It would certainly be quite something if two young Keswick players (Paul Hindmarch has already attracted their interest as a fast bowler) were to one day end up playing first class cricket and possibly in the same team at Durham!

30/5

Fourth time lucky

After three instantly forgettable trips to study the rainfall at Lindal, the
1st XI finally managed to get their Higson Cup game played and enjoyed a
resounding victory on Tuesday evening when, in a 24 over match, they dismissed
the home side for a mere 36 runs after scoring 139 themselves. The 1st X1 is now
at home to Vickerstown and their West Indies fast bowling professional Kenroy
Peters on Sunday, June 24.
Principle performers for Keswick were batsman Chris D'Leny (34 runs) who is
working wonders despite a 'broken' finger and a groin strain; heaven knows what
he will do when fully fit. And left arm medium pacer Joe Gibson was at his
deadly best to take 3/4 from four overs. Good, also, to see off spinner Andrew
Bryson come on at the end and take 3/7 from two overs. Stuart Dowson was
effective in the role of opening bowler to take 2/9 from five and Darren Collin
claimed 1/6 from four. Mansoor took 1/5 from five as Lindal * visitors to Fitz
Park in the league this Saturday * were blown away. Hopefully, together with the
rain . . .

27&29/5

And now for flaming June

The wettest May on record since the 18th Century and all that inclement weather
has driven me to drink. In moderation. Personally, I can't wait for flaming June
to live up to its billing but we shall see what we shall see. For the most part
it has been miserable fair for Keswick Cricket Club with the weather putting a
dampener on virtually everything . . . not least the league results; it hasn't
been all that favourable for Edgar Appleby's knees either, not to mention the
reduced takings on the bar and the impact on the club's finances. Double woe.
Both the 1st and 2nd X1s had mixed fortunes in the league at the weekend * the
1st X1 getting the better of their counterparts from Penrith on the Bank Holiday
Monday but crashing at Dalton on the Saturday, and the 2nd X1 putting in a
positive performance against Whitehaven 1st X1, at least in the field, on the
Saturday but then going down in abject fashion at Egremont on the Monday.
Still there were a few positives to be taken from both sets of games.
For the 1st X1 professional Mansoor Ahmed put in yet another potentially
match-winning performance at Dalton only to see his team lose. While all about
him failed abysmally * with the exception of No8 batsman Chris D'Leny, who made
22 and was the only other batsman in double figures (with the exception of Mr
Total Extras with 16) - Mansoor hit 67 batting at No6 before falling LBW to
former Australian professional Justin Quint who took 5/18 from 15 overs.
Despite totalling only 123, after being 11/4 at one stage, the latter almost a
carbon copy of last Saturday's early batting display, Keswick still had a great
opportunity to win the match and Mansoor was the destroyer in chief with a
return of 6/47 from 15 overs. Unfortunately, Keswick developed a bad case of
dropsy and three catches hit the deck when, had they been taken, Keswick would
have been celebrating another victory courtesy of their professional who, it has
to be said, is proving to be a quite exceptional find.
As it was Dalton struggled to 125/8 and it was their No8 Hughes (36 not out) who
rode his good fortune. To end on a positive note, Keswick's Ian Dixon * who now
seems to alternate between Threlkeld captain and 1st X1 big hitter and fielder,
took an exceptional catch on the long off boundary to dismiss Justin Quint. Ian
started running for a skier from long off and at the end of his glory run,
somewhere around long on, took off in spectacular fashion to dive full length
and take a two handed catch. As David Coleman was often heard to say when
commentating on great sporting achievements: "quite remarkable." But then Ian is
quite remarkable and his enthusiasm (occasionally OTT), confidence and
burgeoning ability cannot be faulted; more on him later.
On the Monday, Keswick were at home to newly promoted Penrith who last season
were playing against Keswick 2nds and drawing the fixture at Fitz Park. Once
again the rain spoiled the game and play (with overs reduced to 33 for the
Keswick innings) did not get underway until 4pm. Keswick's top order made a
better fist of things with Darren Collin, Stephen Hindmarch and Chris D'Leny all
making useful contributions. And then the aforementioned Ian Dixon (who reverts
to 3rd X1 captain for this Saturday's Threlkeld Eden Valley League fixture)
strode to the wicket and blasted a quick fire 17 not out, which included some
big hitting, including a six.
In response, Penrith's innings was reduced still further by the rain (to 27
overs) and they concluded their batting on 102/3 with Sri Lankan professional
Upul Fernando 46 not out.

13/5

It never rains but it pours

The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain . . . or, in the case of Keswick 1st X1, wherever they travel in a vain attempt to play the game. Thwarted at the first attempt in their efforts to play the Higson Cup game at Lindal, Keswick returned to the same ground last Sunday for a second go . . . and the weather intervened yet again. There are only so many times that a cricket team can travel to Lindal without losing its collective sanity and Keswick and their admittedly small band of travelling supporters, must now be pretty close to losing their marbles.
To make matters worse, only the previous day Keswick had travelled to Cleator for a North Lancashire Premier League fixture and, for some strange reason, someone, somewhere ( I draw the line at Divine Intervention theories but wonder if the Da Vinci Code had anything to do with it) decided that on Saturday it should only rain on Cleator and that the Cleator v Keswick fixture should be the only game in the entire universe to be rained off without a single ball being bowled. At either end of the village there was a line in the road, one side wet wet wet and the other bone dry. This is a phenomena we usually only associate with the A66 at Dubwath and, more precisely, the crossroads from which one side road leads to The Pheasant Inn; once, incidentally, a popular watering hole for Keswick teams making their intoxicated way back from West Cumberland, and where I have seen Bobby Elliot and Shoey Birkett perform their notoriously predictable but always hilariously funny 'Precious McKenzie' weightlifting routine.
This weekend sees the 1st X1 at Fitz Park on Saturday, so better bring your umbrellas. Haverigg are the visitors in the league and their professional is the Zimbabwean international player Justin Ontong. And on Sunday, the 1st X1 goes completely nuts when it travels to Lindal for the third attempt to play their Higson cup game. The Thwaites County cup game which was scheduled to be played against Appleby at Fitz Park this Sunday has now been rearranged for Sunday, June 4. So put that one in your diary for a date which sees the return to Keswick of the Australian Luke Wimbridge and his Appleby team, currently not enjoying the best of times in the NLL and bnelow Keswick 2nd X1 in the NLL First Division.
This Sunday also sees Threlkeld's new ground, The George Hutton Oval, receiving its baptism with a special lunch followed by a game involving players representing the village's two pubs, The Horse and Farrier and The Salutation.

5/5

Keswick thump Wigton

Consistency is the key to success and as the season progresses * and it's just early days yet * Keswick CC 1st X1 will have to bring greater consistency to their game than appears to be the case at the moment if they are to mount a serious challenge on the North Lancashire Premier League title. Still, the team occupies third place in the table and I think the new captain Imran Khan and everyone else at the club would have settled for third at this stage of the season if it had been offered at the outset.
However, early results indicate a win / lose / win/ possible lose sequence. A home victory over Workington was followed by an away defeat to Furness, a home win over Wigton and * possibly * a defeat at Lindal in the Higson cup last Sunday; although the result of that last game was by no means a foregone conclusion even though Keswick were struggling on 86/4 when the rain intervened. Keswick groundsman Brian Pattinson tells me that the Lindal wicket was not the best and he feels that if Keswick had reached 130 it just might have been enough. John Bryson Jnr was on 30 not out and Joe Gibson undefeated on six when the rains brought the game to a premature close.
Keswick 1st X1 will now return to Lindal this Sunday for the rematch. The team was originally scheduled to play at home to Appleby in the County Cup but that fixture has now been put back to the following weekend.
While Keswick's away form might be questionable, there is certainly no doubting the power of their comprehensive home wins. And the victory over Wigton was the most convincing of the season. On previous occasions, Wigton's professional, the South African Geoffrey Toyana, has been not so much a thorn but a whopping great branch in Keswick's side. Not so on this occasion.
Keswick, batting first, had made 220/8 from their 50 overs and it was great to see young Darren Collin top scoring with a fine 86. His runs came off 112 balls and in 129 minutes and included 11 fours and a solitary six. He was well supported by his free-scoring captain, Imran, who hit 72, a knock that included 11 boundaries and came off 97 balls and in 91 minutes.
Wicket keeper Chris D'Leny, promoted up the order to No4 made a useful 34. In reply, Toyana was probably the key to unlocking the Wigton innings and so it proved when he fell cheaply to a catch off Imran in the gully off the bowling of Paul Hindmarch. Leg spinner and Keswick professional Mansoor Ahmed was the principal wicket taker with a return of 4/34 while Imran (what a good match he had, again) took 3/40. Paul Hindmarch took 2/22 from seven while Joe Gibson had a lone success from his five overs.

29/4

Majid haunts Keswick

One week you're up the next you're down. After the joy of an opening day victory over Workington came the relative despair of defeat at Furness, compounded by the fact that former Keswick professional Majid Jahangir was the man to inflict the
pain with an unbeaten century. And also down the plughole went my prediction that Majid might struggle against the Keswick spinners. On a day when the spin kings would need deep heat to keep those fingers warm in a fresh - that's to put it kindly - Barrovian wind, Majid was at his most resolute best and was clearly keen to prove to Keswick that they were wrong to let him go and to demonstrate to his new employers that he was the right man for the job.
An unbeaten 101 with nine fours speaks for itself and while Keswick considered that he was caught behind by wicketkeeper Chris D'Leny off the bowling of Andrew Bryson who had, interestingly, earlier opened the bowling, the umpire clearly didn't see it that way. Nor did he hear the apparent clunk of leather on willow when Keswick's Neil Swainson fell LBW earlier in the day. But I'm not here to question the decisions of the umpires - they give of their best I'm sure.
Keswick had batted first and made 189/6, a useful score at this stage of the season and the captain Imran Khan led the way with an innings of 94. However, Furness were in a generous mood in the field as they dropped no fewer than 10 catches (surely it wasn't that cold). Opener Darren Collin made a good looking 22, while the next highest scorer was John Bryson Jnr with 22 not out. John, batting at No6 was dropped four times.
Imran's innings included eight fours and a solitary six and came of 118 balls and in 121 minutes. What a pity he didn't get to the century. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but Keswick's failure to accelerate over the last 10 overs probably cost them dear in this game.
In reply to Keswick's 189/6, Furness replied with 190/2 from 45.5 of the 50 overs. The captain bowled well to return figures of 1/24 from 10.3. Glen Weightman was recalled to the 1st X1 at the eleventh hour when John Phillips slept in and failed to materialise at the County Corner departure point in time; he subsequently played for the 2nd X1 at home to Kirkby in Furness instead. Phillips is not available this Saturday but Glen Weightman reverts to the 2nd X1 where I can assure him that he will get a bat at or very near the top of the order.

It's all a matter of balance

Just for the record, how someone of Glen's ability can be listed at No9 in any batting order is beyond me and indicates that the lack of balance that I referred to at the end of last season is still a problem in the 1st X1.
As a matter of cricketing interest and to stimulate constructive debate within KCC, there are those I know who advocate a form of total cricket, a la total football. Personally, I think it's largely rubbish where cricket is concerned. The best cricket teams in my view have a balance - namely top six batsmen, including an all rounder, a wicketkeeper who is also a batsman (and who could open the batting if necessary) and four bowlers who think they can bat a bit and who should be encouraged to do so but who are usually happy to occupy nos 8, 9, 10 and 11 in the order.
I readily appreciate that this is difficult at Keswick at the moment where the professional and the captain are also key bowlers as well as batsmen and there are a number of other 'all-rounders' in the team, Paul Hindmarch, Joe Gibson etc. But when the fall out is such that a talented youngster like Glen Weightman is barely involved in a game and is down to bat at No9 then it's quite clearly bonkers. Equally daft is the fact that Gordon Thompson, who is not in the side for his batting (although he is listed at No11 which might suggest that he is a batsman!) bowled only 2.3 overs on Saturday which is precisely 0.3 balls more than an occasional spin bowler who opened the bowling. There does not appear to be a great deal of logic in that.
I am not being critical of the captaincy here - I will support Imran 100 per cent for the entire season. However, the same observations about team balance applied last season, in previous seasons and they now look set to continue.
All I am pointing out that it is this lack of balance in the 1st X1 which is creating the anomaly and, possibly, affecting overall performance. Answers on a postcard . . .
A final point on batting order. I would advocate a system of exchanging like for like between the 1st and 2nd X1s and, for that matter, right through the teams to Threlkeld and Blencathra where if one of the top six batsmen in a team, say No1 for example, is not cutting the mustard then they should go into the 2nd X1 and be replaced by the No1 batsman in the 2nd X1, provided, of course, that batsman is in form. And so on and so forth . . . and I would also argue that batsmen in a team prefer to know where they are batting in the order and should not be switched around from week to week like so much grass in the blades of a mower. Lots of unecessary movement in a batting order results in chaos and does not get results.

22/4

Mansoor is the man

As debuts go this was as dreamy as it gets. Mansoor Ahmed, leg spinner and batsman was single-handedly responsible for Keswick's opening day victory over Workington when the two teams met in a repeat of last season's Higson Cup final. Keswick, you may recall, were on the receiving end of a thumping on that occasion with Workington overseas professional Simon Beare playing the innings of a lifetime to put the result beyond doubt at tea.
This time it was Keswick's professional who turned the tables and revenge was oh so sweet. Not only that it will have given Keswick's new professional a tremendous feeling of self confidence and self belief for the months ahead, the win also gave new Keswick captain Imran Khan an auspicious, morale boosting start to his career as Keswick. As I suggested in last week's cricket report - yes, I do have a crystal ball - I believe that in Mansoor Ahmed KCC may have come across a gem. And that, again, is directly down to Imran in many respects because Mansoor is a great personal friend of the new captain.
while one swallow does not make a summer, all the signs are good.
Certainly Mansoor's performance on Saturday, if you will pardon the awful pun, was the jewel in the crown. To cut to the chase Mansoor was 69 not out as Keswick overhauled Workington's total, and when the West Cumbrians batted he took 6/49 from 15 overs.
On a fresh bright day, Workington batted first and made 158 all out from 49 overs. Opener Andrew Reed (77) and No3 Beare (28) gave the visitors an encouraging start but they were the only men in double figures as Mansoor spun his web and the victims began to fall into a trap based on flight as much as spin. Mansoor began from the River Greta end but the batsman attacked against the spin to hit him towards the short boundary (would a more centrally-situated strip been more appropriate for Keswick's spin attack?) His fortunates changed dramatically when he switched ends and came infrom the pavilion end. On a damp surface the ball was spinning slowly and gave batsmen the luxury of reading it off the pitch. However, it was in the flight that the Pakistani leg break bowler deceived them more often than not and as the summer progresses it will be interesting to see how many are beaten by the faster turning ball. On this occasion no fewer than four batsmen were stumped by Glen Weightman, standing in for absent wicket keeper Chris D'Leny. Young Weightman, who also batted with resilience down the order when the nerves began to jangle in the home dressing room, can consider himself most unfortunate to have lost his 1st X1 place for this Saturday's game at Furness, where Keswick will once again come up against their former professional Majid Jahangir.
Majid may struggle against Keswick's spinners. If I recall correctly he always contrived to get himself out against the talkative Kenny White when he (Kenny that is) was playing for Cockermouth against Keswick. I can still see the catch being taken in front of the pavilion . . .
But I digress. Keswick, after the early departure of Neil Swainson, produced solid runs from the next three batsmen in the shape of opener Darren Collin (34) - good to see him being given an important role - the captain himself (26) and then, of course, the professional, Mansoor Ahmed with his all-important, match winning innings. Unfortunately the two Bryson brothers, John Jnr and Andrew, went cheaply and it was left to Weightman and the pro to see Keswick home.
Even then it was a tight affair with the winning runs coming off the fourth ball of the 51st over. Innings are normally of 50 overs duration but Workington's dismissal in the 49th over gifted Keswick the extra over. And it proved vital in the final analysis with Mansoor smashing a six into the tennis courts for the winning hit.
Let's hope that Keswick can make it two out of two when they travel to Furness this Saturday when the only change to the 1st X1 is the return of Chris D'Leny for Glen Weightman.