Dashing Ashling gives Cheshire T20 hope

Game 1: Cumbria 171-6 (20 overs) Cheshire 139-9 (20 overs), Cumbria won by 32 runs 

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Game 2:Cheshire 196-7 (20 overs), Cumbria 190-5(20 overs). Cheshire won by 6 runs

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Group 1 Table

Cheshire kept their NCCA T20 Super 12 hopes alive with a dramatic fightback against Cumbria at Nantwich, bouncing back from defeat in the day's opener to win the second match by six runs.

After a frustrating first game, Cheshire responded in style, inspired by a stunning return from Pat Ashling, who marked his first county appearance in two years with a brilliant 102. His century powered the hosts to a vital victory and ensured qualification remains firmly within reach.

With one double-header left - against Northumberland in two weeks - Cheshire now know that winning both games would send them through to the next stage.

It had been a testing build-up for the county, with injuries continuing into Saturday afternoon and several players unavailable. But captain Sam Perry still named a 13-man squad featuring club team-mates Ashling and Alfie Usher, alongside Will Espley (Lindow), Zach Thompson (Timperley) and Archie Barraclough (Bradford & Bingley).

In bright sunshine and with Nantwich looking immaculate, Cheshire were left to rue missed chances in the first contest. Cumbria posted 171-6, accelerating late in the innings as skipper Matt Semphill made 45 and Ed Wade added 39. Barraclough and Espley both finished with 2-39.

Cheshire's chase quickly faltered as they slumped to 78-6. Only the in-form Perry, with a defiant 60, kept hopes alive, but once he was dismissed at 116, the innings faded and Cheshire finished 32 runs short.

The response in the second game was immediate. Batting first, Cheshire raised the tempo and the intensity, with Ashling leading the way in emphatic fashion. His superb 102 formed the backbone of a commanding 196-7, while Andy Jackson, playing as a specialist batter, made 37 and Henry Murray contributed 34. Cumbria's reply was given momentum by two wickets apiece from Freddie Fallows, Louis Backhouse and Ethan Hardie-Knight.

Cheshire struck instantly when Dan Wilson removed Fallows with the very first ball of the innings, but Cumbria appeared to be cruising thanks to a superb 121-run second-wicket stand between Tom Fraine (97) and Wade (46). Even when Fraine became the fifth wicket to fall at 169, the visitors still looked favourites.

But Cheshire found another gear at exactly the right moment. Under pressure at the death, Barraclough, Wilson and Usher - who finished with 2-29 - held their nerve with disciplined bowling to squeeze Cumbria out and seal a tense six-run win.

It was a victory built on resilience, big-match contributions and a refusal to let their campaign drift away. Cheshire now head into their final double-header knowing their path is simple: win both against Northumberland, and the Super 12 awaits.

Next up, it's the same opposition, different tournament. Cheshire and Cumbria meet for the third time this season as they contest the KO Trophy 50 over semi-final next Sunday (28 June) at Keswick. The winner will play either Oxfordshire or Berkshire in the final at Ipswich & Copdock CC.

Cheshire squad: Sam Perry (captain, Alderley Edge), Freddie Vaughan-Hawkins (wk, Timperley), Dan Newton (Lindow), Henry Murray (Toft), Pat Ashling (Alderley Edge), Isaac Brooks (Lindow), Dan Wilson (Northern), Will Espley (Lindow), Archie Barraclough (Bradford & Bingley), Alfie Usher (Alderley Edge), Zach Thompson (Timperley), Andy Jackson (Hyde).