Ones To Watch - Matt Sempill

Cumbria’s pursuit of a fourth successive National Counties Trophy final has been propelled by left-hander Matt Sempill so far this season.

Sempill began the Trophy campaign with a match-turning 69 which helped Cumbria to a jittery one wicket victory over Herefordshire and he followed up with an unflustered 51 not out to see them to a more comfortable win over Oxfordshire at Kendal two weeks ago.

Cumbria ahead to Allendale on Sunday seeking another victory over Northumberland, the current Group One leaders, who have already booked their own passage to the quarter-finals.

Sempill, 25, plays his club cricket for Cockermouth where England Test captain Ben Stokes spent his formative years and at one stage he looked likely to follow him into first-class cricket.

Having represented North of England Schools in the 2013 Bunbury Festival in Durham, Sempill had spells playing for both Lancashire and Durham’s Academy teams without being offered a professional contract.

But he still hopes that his performances for Cumbria might again get him noticed and he took part in the second National Counties Player ID Day at Loughborough University in early March.

The day was set up to showcase many of the talented players from across the 20 National Counties with scouts and coaches from first-class counties in attendance to run the rule over them.

In the meantime Sempill has focused on scoring heavily for Cumbria and attempting to take them through to Trophy Finals Day at Wormsley on August 27 where, after three defeats by Berkshire, it could be fourth time lucky.