By Neil Fissler
Steve Sharp admits that nobody was as surprised as Cumberland themselves when they were crowned Minor Counties Champions for the first time.
Cumberland, who started the season losing their first game against Hertfordshire in Kendal, soon found their form and it was to prove to be the only blight on their record.
They went unbeaten for the rest of the season including inflicting the only defeat of the campaign on Durham, largely thanks to a first-innings century from David Lloyd.
Bumble blasted 109 out of 202 off 136 balls as Cumberland picked up a four-wicket victory after chasing down 198 with two balls to spare.
Sharp says that it was from that point onwards that Cumberland believed that they could do what no other side in their history had done to that point.
The season ended with the victory in the Minor Counties Final over Oxfordshire at New Road, Worcester, in a rain effected match.
Cumberland won the toss and fielded, bowling Oxfordshire out for 166.
They then survived a last over wobble to reach 169-8, again with two balls to spare.
Sharp said: “We shocked one or two teams throughout that season. I think we even shocked ourselves with that we achieved. We had a good blend of experience with the likes of David Lloyd who was even good value back then and Bernard Reidy.
“Bernard got a shock when he got released by Lancashire but when he came to us he lost a bit of weight and was a real quality player. He bowled any number of overs. And he batted really well.
“For a while he was too good for Minor Counties cricket. He couldn’t half hit the ball a long a way.
“David won us the game against Durham at the old Chester-le-Street ground and that was the turning point of the season for us and once we beat them it gave us the confidence.
“The final itself got rained off on the Saturday and we ended up playing on the Sunday but it was a very tight finish.
“It was played on a slowish wicket and a slow outfield. The plan was get them out for a low score and then knock them off.
“I got myself out in the last over and it was a good job that we had plenty of strength in depth in the batting.
“We lost a couple of wickets in the last over and it got a bit twitchy I think but the confidence that we gained from the season helped in that situation.
BACK ROW (left-right):
Bernard Reidy: All-rounder who has served the Lancashire League as an umpire. Worked as a driver, then for a clothing company and is now a warehouseman for a bakery.
Bill Hirst: Solicitor who moved to Carlisle to work in local government becoming Town Clerk then chief executive of the local council. He served Carlisle CC and Cumberland CCC for more than 50 years until his death in 2000.
Malcolm Beaty: Cumberland wicketkeeper for 22 seasons and later became secretary. For the last 32 years he has lived in Kendal and he spent his working life employed by the Inland Revenue.
Harold Millican: County chairman. Played in Cumberland’s first ever Minor Counties championship match in 1955. Worked for the National Farmers’ Union and died in September 2013, aged 91
Roy Duckett: Scorer for more than ten years. He was connected to Kendal CC and worked in the town for Provincial Insurance. He died in 1988.
John Moyes: Batsman and captain who was a schoolteacher in Cockermouth prior to retiring. His son Jim also played for Cumberland.
Grahame Clarke: Batsman who lives in his native Lancaster has worked in the building industry.
Ian Cooper: All-rounder from Ulverston who travels the country in his job as a book salesman for a national distributor.
Graham Reed: Batsman who was the 12th man. Was with Workington CC but left the area to move south.
Dean Hodgson: Opening batsman who settled in Bristol where he became a stockbroker and is now a senior investment director with Investec in Bath.
Ted Roberts: The county’s public relations officer who worked as a technician at a BBC transmitting station at Skelton, near Penrith for 40 years. He died in Carlisle in October 2002, aged 78.
Bob Gaskarth: The county treasurer was a bank manager for the Midland Bank. He died in Carlisle in September 1995.
FRONT ROW:
David Halliwell: Fast bowler who played for Northamptonshire 2nd XI and was Cumberland’s highest wicket taker. Now lives in his native Leyland, Lancashire. He worked as a painter and decorator until his retirement.
Mike Scothern: Opening bowler who is the director of the family-owned electrical retailer Harry Garlick in Barnoldswick where he runs the youth section of the local cricket club.
Malcolm Woods: Spin bowler and useful batsman who was a teacher in Cheshire for many years and is now retired. His son Danny plays for Cheshire and captained them to the Minor Counties title in 2013.#
Simon Dutton: Wicketkeeper/ batsman who captained Cumberland to the Minor Counties Championship in 1999. He was head of sport at Chetwynde School in Barrow where he runs the bar and lounge at Barrow Golf Club.
Chris Stockdale: Opening batsman who became a cricket development officer and worked in sales, recruitment and IT. He is now based in Kuala Lumpur and is a professional golf caddie.
Steve Sharp: Batsman who scored an undefeated hundred in Minor Counties Trophy Final win over Hertfordshire at Lord’s in 1989. Is chairman of Cumberland CCC and is a waste manager at Sellafield.
NOT PICTURED:
David Lloyd: England batsman ‘Bumble’ coached Lancashire and England and stood as a first-class umpire and is now a commentator on Sky Sports.
Neil Boustead: Wicketkeeper who now runs his own confectionery business in Bowscar, Penrith.
This piece originally featured in The Cricket Paper, Friday January 8 2016
