Carlisle Cricket Club will look to continue their reign at the top of Cumbria Cricket League’s Premier Division when they host Whitehaven tomorrow.

With all six games rained off last week, it was as you were at the top, with the city side leading Furness by six points.

The big question again this weekend, however, is whether the weather will relent and allow some cricket - crucially for all the teams.

The last thing anyone wants is to win the title on having better fortune with the weather than your rivals.

When they retained their title in 2017, Workington were beaten home and away by runners-up Furness but the south Cumbrians were unfortunate to have more games lost to the weather which allowed Workington to capitalise.

Carlisle, who travel to Furness next weekend in the crucial game, are forced into making one change for tomorrow’s visit from Whitehaven. Henry Walker is unavailable so James Bell deputises.

Whitehaven haven’t enjoyed a very successful season, currently lying third bottom, with only four wins from their 17 games, but Carlisle won’t take that into account.

It’s all about staying focused for every game, whatever the opposition and it’s something Carlisle have been concentrating on all season.

Furness had a mixed weekend the last time they played a fortnight ago - losing at Workington and then beating Keswick to win the Higson Cup.

They have a tricky contest tomorrow away to local rivals Millom which their hosts would dearly like to win and put a dent in their title challenge.

Cockermouth are not completely out of it but the champions are rapidly running out of games and have a tricky fixture tomorrow at old rivals Cleator. 

It was that heavy defeat at Keswick which partially shut the door on them.

Interestingly, though, both Carlisle and Furness have to play Keswick before the end of the season and the Fitz Park side, who have climbed the table impressively after a poor start, will offer a serious threat to the title hopefuls.

Tomorrow, Keswick entertain a Wigton side desperate to move up the table away from their current position, just one place better off than relegated Egremont.

They will take heart from an excellent win at Millom in their last game.

Incidentally, Keswick’s Sri Lankan professional Geeth Kumara may have missed out on the cricket because of the rain but he has enjoyed winning Division Two of the Eden Valley Bowls League alongside the cricket club veterans Keith Richardson and Alan Dalzell. Former Keswick player Keith Price captains the Fitz Park team.

When Kumara joined Keswick eight seasons ago he might have envisaged, winning a league and cup double, but not with the town’s bowling club ahead of their cricketing neighbours.

Workington, who beat Furness two weeks ago, travel to Dalton while Egremont might fancy their chances of registering a first league win as they entertain Lindal Moor.

Amidst all the postponements last Saturday following the heavy outbursts of rain, there was an oasis of calm at Egremont.

It enabled a Cumbria League Second Division match to go ahead, and although it did need the Duckworth-Lewis system to find a winner, there were 56 overs played.

Cleator second-team had 32 overs in which they reached 127-4 and, although they only had 24 overs before the game was called off, Egremont 2s made 111-5 which was good enough to win the game on Duckworth-Lewis.