The principles of league cricket were advocated more than sixty years since. Addressing the annual meeting of 1902 on the desirability of eliminating “stone-walling”, J. W. Lowther, M.P., unfolded a scheme not dissimilar from that on which many leagues now operated.

Suppose they were going to play for six hours, he said. Let them divide the time into three hours each. Both teams would have the same chance and the side obtaining most runs in three hours would be winners.

This was not the first attempt to bring a more competitive spirit into Penrith’s cricket. Six years later, in 1986, the secretary, W. H. Johnstone, wrote to the Edenhall, Kirkby Stephen, Appleby, Keswick and Scotby clubs for their views on forming a league. As only Appleby were in favour, the idea fell through and a similar fate befell a later move by Whitehaven whose meeting to consider a league was attended by Penrith representatives.

Over half-century elapsed before any positive steps were taken. Apart from the second eleven figuring in a Penrith Junior League in 1899 and in the Penrith and District Combination during the early 1920’s, friendly matches were played until 1951 – the year the first team ventured into the Cumberland Senior League. Entry to the North Lancashire League followed in 1959.

Penrith’s eight-season stay in Division 1 of the Senior League was marked with outstanding success. They won the championship five times, four of the titles being in successive years – from 1955 to 1958 – and they were twice runners-up and once third. Here is the full record:

Year P W D2 D1 L P Posn.
1951 14 8 0 2 4 18 3rd
1952 16 11 0 2 3 35 2nd
1953 16 10 0 2 4 32 1st
1954 14 8 0 2 4 26 2nd
1955 14 10 1* 0 3 31½ 1st
1956 18 14 0 2 2 44 1st
1957 18 10 1 5 2 37 1st
1958 18 11 0 5 2 38 1st
* 1½ points for tie

In 1951 only two points were awarded for a win. From 1952 onwards a win earned three points.

Peter Sarjeant delivered Penrith’s first over in the Cumberland League in a match at Whitehaven, whose second team were beaten by four wickets by a composed of J. H. Millican, R. Newstead, H. Billing, J. S. M. Burrow, H. Tabberer, C. H. Varty, W. B. Lewis, E. R. Dalton, F. W. Davidson, E. A. Hillman, P Sarjeant.

The first home encounter in the league was made doubly memorable by the margin of Penrith’s win over High Duty Alloys works side, who raised only 28 in reply to a home total of 229 for 5, including 79 from Millican and 86 not out by Burrow – batsmen who were to dominate the Tynefield scene for the next decade. In the rout of H. D. A., incidentally, Millican had a 5 for 0 bowling spell!

Most dramatic of Penrith’s five title wins was the first in 1953, for there had to be a play-off with Denton Holme, who had tied for top place. All-rounder Horace Billing clinched victory with a knock of 29 not out and a 5-29 bowling return.

Swashbuckling batting by Millican, however, was a major keynote to the team’s sustained success. Five times in eight seasons he topped the Cumberland League averages, the most memorable season being 1957 when he hit 554 league runs (still a record) for an average of 46.1. In all matches that season, the keen-eyed, hard-hitting left hander totalled 748; he is the club’s only amateur batsman to top 700-mark since D. C. Stevenson during the 1920’s.

It is worthy of comment that in four of the five seasons when Millican headed the league batting averages Penrith finished as champions. In ninety completed innings during the club’s eight years in the competition he piled up a grand total of 3,163 league runs for an average of 35.14. Add to this a haul of 257 wickets at an average of 8.7 and you have the full measure of Millican’s inspiring part in Penrith’s repeated triumphs in the Cumberland League era.

“Mike” Burrow (a nephew of the great R. H. Spooner, of Lancashire) shared many golden afternoons in partnership with Millican and, as well as providing himself a batsman profuse in attractive strokes, he was a glorious cover-point fieldsman and thrower. Like Millican, his best season in league cricket was 1957 when he totalled 453 runs and averaged 30.2; thus the combined efforts of the two batsmen yielding over a thousand league runs that year.

Other batsmen of note belonged to this most triumphant era. For example, Billing would have been a much greater asset had not his appearances been restricted by police duties; Derek Wardle scored heavily in the early years; and Kenneth Watson, as well as scoring freely, was a wicket-keeper of ability.

But the most familiar figure behind the stumps was that of Arthur Hillman, a loyal servant who also revelled in aggressive batting. He was probably the most consistent big hitter of the post-war period, though Jim Bowman, Ken Shaw and Harvey Askins all produced lusty blows to thrill the crowds.

Many other made their mark firmly on the memory, if less spectacular. P.W. Reynolds, E. R. Dalton and W. B. Lewis, all captains of Penrith during the years of success in the Cumberland League, had the support of batsmen like Fred Birtle, Horace Tabberer, Ron Newstead, Maurice Priestman, Jack Rose, Peter Sarjeant, Bert Newton, Frank Davidson, Tom Potts, Gerald Bolshaw and Brian Parker, to mention only those whose names spring most readily to mind.

Incidentally, Brain Parker achieved first team stature at the tender age of 15 after scoring an unbeaten 121 for the second eleven and becoming, it is thought, the club’s youngest-ever century-maker. Unfortunately this dedicated young cricketer – member of a family who have served the club since the 1930’s – was lost to Penrith after only a few seasons.

Millican, was the most prolific wicket-taker, during the Cumberland League era, but opening bowler Sarjeant came to the fore in 1958 when he headed the Cumberland League averages with 41 wickets for 188 runs (average 4.58) in 131 overs, of which 49 were maidens.

The left-arm “magic” of Charlie Varty earned him a rich crop of wickets and many a stubborn partnership has been thwarted by his wiles. L. W. Thompson, a model of accuracy at medium pace, completed the quartet who did most of the bowling, though others, notably R. Lockery (another left-armer), Billing Burrow, T. R. Mullen and C. E. Short, also figured in the attack at different times.

Repeated triumphs in the Senior League led to suggestions for a move to a higher sphere and weight was added to this argument in 1958 with the memorable defeat of a powerful Workington side in the Meageen Cup-final. Successful application was made for entry to the North Lancashire and District League and on the 25th April, 1959, the journey was made to Barrow for the opening fixture, but the game was completely “washed out”.