Adam Richardson Sets A New League Record As Players & Officials Remember Kenny Shep

There are some intriguing fixtures this weekend. Can Arnside's batsmen go large again against Burneside? Can Heysham bounce back from a heavy defeat in the Meyler Cup? Can Bare make it 4 wins in 4?

After cricketers across the Westmorland League stood in a minute’s silence ahead of Saturday’s games in memory of Arnside’s Ken Shepherd, their first team skipper made an imperious 195 not out, the highest ever score recorded in the first division. Richardson faced 139 balls, and hit 31 fours and 3 sixes. He selflessly declared on 305/3 with 3 overs remaining. Ben Lenton contributed 44 and Alex Davidson 37 not out. Terry Hunte (82) showed his class and Kendal 2nds were able to salvage a draw on 170/7. Lee Pidgeon took 3/43 and Rob Shepherd 2/27.

Heysham increased their lead at the top of the table by beating Carnforth 2nds by 157 runs whilst Bare beat Burneside. Lewis Plackett (66), Lee Calverley (44) and Phil Bovis (73 not out) were all in form as Heysham declared on 240/3. Only Gary Baxendale (22) made double figures as Jamie Cassidy (4/22) returned from injury to bowl out the visitors for 83. The shock of the day came at Burneside where Robbie White made 59 not out and Archit Bhadwaj 45 not out in an unbroken stand of 74 for the 7th wicket for Bare that took them to 209/6 before Jake Allison (4/31) dismissed the dangerous Ethan Ellwood and Ben Phillips. With Bhardwaj (1/11) bowling a tight spell, Ryan Shepherd (42) kept the home in the game until John Hughes took the final wicket.

Sedgwick are a point behind Burneside after heroics from Dan Lawson (32 not out) and Jason Dalzell (17 not out) gave them 15 points after they had been 98/9 needing 144 to win. A maiden first team fifty from Tom Willacy (55) had been the only positive as Paul Simpson (3/38) and debutant Bert Parker (4/17) put them on the ropes. But sensible accumulation against the change bowlers took Sedgwick to an unlikely win. Warton had failed to capitalise from 97/2 with Graham Kellett (57) making a third consecutive league fifty. They lost their last 6 wickets for 29 to the impressive Lawson (5/23) and Tom Ridley (3/44).

Shireshead are 7 points further back in fourth after scraping a 2 wicket win at Kirkby Lonsdale. Steve Williams (34) top scored in the home side’s 147 as spinners Ernie Collinson (3/32) and Jack Cunnington (3/23) bowled well. Collinson (29) top scored, but with Dan Teasdale taking 5/47 Shireshead still needed 21 when the 8th wicket fell, but Cunnington (19 not out) and Phil Oliver (14 not out) were able to secure maximum points. Richard Herron (63) and Lee Barnes (72) powered Holme to 258/5 declared against Morecambe 2nds. James Lambert took 3/52 and his side scrapped to 232/9 with numbers 9 and 10 Gaurang Agrawal and Surenthar Nedunchelian both making 28. Simon Shipperd took 3/42 for Holme.

Ali James (53) and Jonty Moeckell (35) took Silverdale to 192 with Joe Atkinson taking 3/42 and Joe Cowperthwaite 5/58 for Cartmel. Will Anderson (40) and Bob Davies (39) added 70 for the first wicket, but they collapsed to 109 all out as Jon Mason (5/17) and Paul Moffatt (4/23) reprised their bowling partnership. Andy Hill (60) scored his second fifty of the season for Heysham 2nds who were restricted to 160 at Shireshead 2nds by Aiden Weir (4/34) and Mike Mead (4/46). At 33/3 Shireshead were in trouble, but Gareth Bleasdale (40) and luke Bray (42 not out) took the home side to a 5 wicket win. After a difficult start, Milnthorpe are flying and a new name Matthew Studt took 7/27 to skittle Westgate 2nds for 55. Scott Singleton chipped in with 3/21. Steve Bowman (32 not out) secured the 7 wicket win.

Hamid Butt (29) top scored for Morecambe 3rds at Coniston, but Mike Burton (4/39) and Rob Warne (3/8) kept them to 117. Warne (46) and Andrew Townsley (38 not out) completed a 9 wicket win. Francis Bowers-Richards (3/34) and Arsalan Aseem (4/11) dismissed Sedgwick 2nds for 58 which Netherfield 3rds passed for the loss of 5 wickets. Tom Newman (56) played a captain’s innings for Sedbergh School 2nds. Nick MacDonald took 4/27 for Ambleside, but 184 proved too big a target as Ambleside were all out for 129 despite James Woodcock (30).

In Division 3, the 15 year olds were at it again for Carnforth 3rds. This time it was Louis Potter (100 not out) who made a maiden hundred from 103 balls (15 fours, 2 sixes) while Lewis Spurr made a patient 79 not out as Carnforth chased down 207 to win by 8 wickets. Earlier Pat Cantley (74) and Ryan Teasdale (35) had taken Holme 2nds to 206/8 as Potter took 3/47 and Theo Mills 3/38. The two games at Holme over the weekend had over 900 runs scored in them. Dave Morgan made 31 in Galgate’s 172 as Mike Dickinson (3/22) and Chris Myers (3/23) kept the score in check at fast scoring Arnside. Eddie Hart (74) and Mike Dickinson (61 not out) gave the home side a 8 wicket win.

Burneside 2nds beat Bare 2nds by 6 wickets while 5/25 from Danny Halstead bowled out Leven Valley for 68 which Trimpell passed without loss. Evergreen Andy Thomas made 51 not out for Silverdale 2nds but their 120/8 was not just enough as experienced left hander, Chris Fleming (29 not out) saw joint leaders Ingleton to victory by 3 wickets. Matthew France took 3/18 for Ingleton and Thomas 3/36 and Eddie Letcher 3/26 for Silverdale. James Bousefield (36) and John Gates (39) were the main scorers for Bolton le Sands. Dan Sykes (4/30) and Will Aspinwall (3/37) were in the wickets for Windermere whose chase was successful thanks to Paul Gillespie (56) and Aspinwall (49).

It isn’t recorded who is the youngest to score a hundred in senior cricket in the Westmorland League, but Blake Airey who plays for Burneside 3rds may have a case to go in the record books. Airey celebrated his 14th birthday last week with a maiden hundred. As importantly it gave his side a 3 wicket win. Chasing 173 to win he added 52 with captain Jon Bushell (12) for the first wicket, but no other batsman made double figures, despite this the youngster kept going to make a match winning 124 not out from 118 balls, an incredible performance for any player let alone one so young. It would be remiss not to mention Kacper Dobson (74) and Andrew Townsley (37) who enabled Coniston 2nds to score 172/7. Robert Wight took 3/22 for Burneside and Richard Moore 3/37 for Coniston. Another young player who starred on Sunday was Shireshead’s 3rds Rowan Yates who took 6/4 as Westgate 3rds were routed for 47 which Shireshead passed for the loss of 1 wicket.

Dineshmanickam Annadurai’s 55 was the main reason Morecambe 4ths totalled 117 against Milnthorpe 2nds. Mohammed Kaithara took 3/15 for Milnthorpe who were dismissed for 51 with Ethan Packard taking 4/8 and Miram Alam 4/21. Benji Sanday (60) made his maiden fifty in senior cricket. With Pete Otway (31) Sedgwick 3rds posted 201/9 but Sedbergh School 3rds went on to win by 4 wickets. Thom Shaw made 37 and Jo Adair 53 not out for the school. Liam Oldham (34) top scored for Netherfield 4ths in their 119. Simon Williams took 3/10 for Ulverston 3rds who won by 3 wickets, Partha Singh making 43, despite Travis Oldham taking 3/6 from 10 overs.

In the Kendal Sports Trophies Cup Mark Baldwin’s 75 helped Trimpell to beat Carnforth 3rds by 13 runs despite 99 from the outstanding Lewis Spurr who has already scored over 500 runs in senior cricket this season . Both sides go through to the Quarter-finals where they are joined by Galgate and Ingleton. Galgate will have the home tie as they followed up their win at Ingleton with an 83 run win against Bare 2nds, in no small measure thanks to a brilliant 107 from Rob Speak. Leven Valley and Silverdale 2nds have also gone through to the next round. Kyle Hinds made 77 as Leven Valley earned the home Quarter-final. Windermere joined Burneside 2nds in the next round when they beat Holme 2nds by 5 wickets.

In the Meyler Cup, Great Eccleston beat Heysham and Euxton beat Sedgwick. Shireshead beat Read by 7 wickets in the National Village KO and will play Sacriston Colliery from Division 1 of the North-East Durham Premier League on 25 June. Chris Rushworth plays for Sacriston, but the Warwickshire seamer won't be eligible to play against Shireshead.