DALTON put distance between themselves and Whitehaven at the bottom of the North Lancs and Cumbria League Premier Division with a five- wicket win at Ulverston Road, writes COLIN BICKERSTAFFE .

In first, cellar-dwellers Whitehaven showed better form than of late, and with 51 from Jack McNicholas and 39 from Chase Young they were all out in the 48th over for 171.

For Dalton, Tony Butler bowled 15 excellent overs to take 4 for 38 and Johannes Diseko gave good support with 3 for 32 in 13.2 overs.

Dalton were soon in deep trouble with five of the top six back in the shed with 23 runs between them. However Liam Curwen then joined Jack Singleton and the Whitehaven attack was pulverised.

Curwen smashed an unbeaten 80 off 49 deliveries, with 6 sixes and 4 fours, and the dependable Singleton ended on 49 not out with 7 fours, to see Dalton to a winning 172 for 5 in 32.1 overs.

Defending champions Furness earned winning points in a high-scoring tussle with Wigton, with 474 runs scored.

Batting first Furness made a good start at Furness Park and continued to pile on the runs to be 249 for 9 at tea.

Garry Thompson top scored with 79. Wigton’s Jonny Honeyman took 4 for 30.

Wigton made a disastrous start to be 0 for 3, but a 99-run stand by Angus Harman and Mikey Hill pulled the game around.

Hill went for 53 but Harman got little help from the tail and was eventually out for 127, with 3 sixes and 13 fours and his side were all out for 225 in the last over.

Kiwi professional Seth Rance returned 5 for 45 and spinner Jordan Buchanan 4 for 66. Cockermouth put a weakened Workington side into bat and limited them to 156 for 9 Andrew Ireland top scoring with 38. Alex Grainger took 3 for 32 in 11 overs.

Cockermouth were 12 for 0 wicket when rain stopped further play, leaving them most disappointed with the resultant four points to each side. In Division One Haverigg had a day they will want to forget as they were all out for 27 in 12.5 overs.

Carlisle’s Alex Calmy took 7 for 11 in 6.5 overs and Phil Frazer 3 for 10 in 6 overs, Carlisle went to a 10-wicket win in 6.4 overs, making 28 without loss. Kirkby had first knock at Millom, and with the top order all batting well were 273 for 4 at tea.

James Thornton hit another century, making 145 with 4 sixes and 18 fours, and Mike Fugler scored 46.

Millom’s top order were also in good nick. Danny Fallows top scored with 73, and Mike Gill, Graham Dawson and Robert Thompson all went past 30, but were 241 for 9 when overs ran out . Mark Etchells took 4 for 77 in his 15 overs.

Seascale won the toss and batted first against Lindal Moor and made a good start, through openers Adam Brown with 65 and Jack Stubbings 25, supported by number three Joe Hammond with 31.

There was a shortage of further runs though and the home side were all out it the 49th over for 168. Lee Hogg, 6 for 65, and Ed Waind, 3 for 23, kept the Moor in control. After tea Moor lost two early wickets, but opener Sam Beckman, with 85 not out, and Mark Daly 51 not out, saw their side to the win in the 26th over at 170 for 2.

After a good start Workington failed to profit against Ulverston and were 164 for 7 in 50 overs.

Opener Jordan Whinn made 74 not out and Liam Hazzard 30. Stuart Cooper took 5 for 14 in 13 overs. Ulverston were 24 for 2 when rain reduced the target to 156, and with 67 not out from Gareth Yates, and 35 not out from Ben Dryden, Ulverston finished on 156 for 5 in the 38th over.

In Division Two Hawcoat Park cruised to a seven-wicket win over Cleator after dismissing them for 66, Park makingh 70 for 3.

In first against Dalton, Cockermouth had a poor day to be all out for 105 in the 40th over. Andrew Cameron top scored with 28. Paul Dave took 4 for 12 and Matthew Holmes 4 for 16. Dalton went to 106 for 4 in the 30th over, Glyn Caine making 35 not out.

Egremont struggled against the Furness attack, and it took the 53 not out from Ian Littleton batting at number seven to get them to 170 all out in the 49th over. Elliot Maxfield took 4 for 38 in 14 overs.

After two spells of rain the Furness target was reduced to 97 off 22 overs, but they fell just short at 93 for 4.

·l Title-chasing Barrow were forced to settle for a winning draw in their Northern League Division One home match against Penrith.

Batting first Barrow were dismissed for 220 in the penultimate over of their 50-overs-a-side clash before restricting their neighbours to 198 for 6 in 51 overs.

Barrow lost openers Kaustubh Pawar and Toby Mowat cheaply but Sam Dutton and Dean Williams set about rebuilding the home side’s innings at Ernest Pass.

The pair enjoyed a big third-wicket partnership before Williams was run out for 29. New man Michael Wellings helped pile on the runs with Dutton who was eventually out for a top-score 77.

Unfortunately the Barrow tail did not wag and Wellings was left on 64 not out as the wickets tumbled and the innings closed in the 49th over at 220 all out, with former Cumberland paceman Paul Hindmarch claiming 4 for 37.

However, the North Cumbrians failed to take advantage of the extra over when they batted, as the Barrow attack kept them to within 22 runs of a winning total in a see-saw battle.

Javed Khan took 3 for 62 and Greg Reynolds and Gary Collins claimed one wicket apiece.

Barrow A’s difficult season continued as they fell to a four-wicket defeat against Penrith seconds at Tynefield Park.

The visitors were bowled out for 164 with four players enjoying good starts (Guy Heffernan 29, Sam Fell 27, Robin Adams and Sam Henderson 25) but none of them going on to make a big total.

Penrith reached a winning reply of 165 for 6 in 36.2 overs, Adams taking 2 for 8 and Henderson 2 for 38.