The annual friendly fixture between a Keswick XI and a team drawn from the workforce of Keswick Cricket Club’s (KCC) principal sponsors, Lake District Hotels (LDH), has developed over the last four years into a very closely contested affair.

So much so that in the last two meetings the games have gone down to the wire – in fact, to the very last ball.

On a sunny evening, the hotel staff won the latest encounter in the most dramatic of circumstances and squared the series at two all.

The scores were level on 129 when LDH No.9 batsman Jonny Ogle made his way to the middle to face the last delivery of the match and smote it for four to spark off great celebrations among the LDH team and their supporters.

In the presentation that followed in front of the cricket pavilion, KCC chairman Keith Richardson spoke of the immense value to the club of the sponsorship arrangement between KCC and Lake District Hotels.

Leah Davies, the LDH team manager, then presented the trophy to the winning captain Tom Cobley – himself a former Keswick CC junior player who will have enjoyed immensely his return to his old ground and club.

Leah, who works in marketing for Lake District Hotels, then presented individual trophies to Man of the Match, Colin Carter; best batsman, Darren Love and best bowler Mark Harris, the latter is executive chef for LDH.

The game started quietly on a lovely evening with Keswick youngsters Oscar Link and Finn Turnbull opening the batting and treating the game, initially, as though it were a five-day Test match as opposed to a T20.

Finn was the first to break free and hit a 26-ball 32 not out (batsmen retire on 29 and one-scoring stroke) that included five fours and a six. Oscar batted at his own sedate pace to make a useful 21.

Others in double figures were captain Karl Link (18) and Karl Lewis (14) while Gerry Turnbull was eight not out at the close of the innings.

But the biggest cheer was reserved for Andrea Lewis, playing alongside husband Karl and daughter Aimee in this game, who was three not out and who celebrated her first run with a flamboyant twirl.

I think it could catch on as a unique form of self-congratulation (better than a selfie) now that women’s cricket is enjoying its renaissance at KCC.

Keswick succeeded in reaching a modest 122/5 from their 20 overs as off-spin bowler Colin Carter took 3/14 from his three overs, Mark Lamb 1/9 from two and Mark Harris 1/5 from two.

In reply, LDH got off to a solid start with Glen Barr and Gary Wilson both achieving double figures on 16 and 17 respectively.

Darren Love came in at No.3 and proved to be the backbone of the innings with an undefeated 31.

Captain Tom Cobley carried on the good work with 16 in the middle order before Colin Carter provided fresh impetus at No7 with 15.

And then it went down to the wire for Johnny Ogle to hit the winning runs with that boundary off the very last ball.

Both sides used no fewer than eight bowlers in the true spirit of this popular annual event designed to involve as many players as possible.

It will be the first time that a mother and daughter will have bowled for the same team in a cricket match at Keswick but that is exactly what happened when Andrea Lewis and her daughter Aimee both took centre stage with the former taking a wicket.

Nor were we spared the sight of another member of the Lewis household, husband and father Karl, turning his arm over without, it has to be said, much success.

However, I think that young Aimee, as opposed to dad, has an excellent bowling technique and will do well in the seasons to come.

The jury is still out on Andrea!

Umpires on the evening were John Bryson and Ian Turnbull, the latter suffering badly from a late evening midge attack.