Last updated at 08:16, Wednesday, 15 April 2009

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WORKINGTON'S Uppies were victorious for the second time in 2009 in last night's match of the 2009 Uppies and Downies series.

It makes the three-game series two-nil as players get ready for the final game on Saturday.

A two-and-a-half hour tussle with the ball on the Cloffocks saw the  Uppies make several breaks for it - including getting the ball up to Ladies Walk, outside the old brewery.

It spent about 45 minutes on the cricket pitch before Uppies made a late break for it.

It was hailed at Workington Hall by Luke Bainbridge, 18, of Kennedy Road, Seaton.

He has been playing since he was 11 and it is the first time he has hailed.

He said: "I got the ball in the scrum and then I was free. It feels brilliant and I'm on top of the world."

Uppies and Downies player Joe Clark said it was the best game in a long time.

About 1,000 people were in the town for the match, half the number that attended on Good Friday.

The ball stayed on the Cloffocks for a long time and went into the beck at least twice.

Veteran player Craig Sowerby, who was there when uppie Jamie Beaumont hailed the ball on Friday at Workington Hall, said: "I was in the beck at the very beginning and I was waiting by the beck for the ball to come back so I can go back in."

It was thrown off by Jennifer Dagliesh, 21, of Harrington Road, Workington.

A family tradition, she was the first woman to throw off the ball for a Tuesday game since 1941.

Among the spectators was Sylvia Morgan, 54, who was born and bred in Distington but now lives in Ayrshire.

She was never allowed to see the games when she was growing up so decided to visit Workington this year, with her niece Donna Barrow, 21, and her brother Kenneth Barrow, 55 for the series.

The uppies supporter said: "In my day it was the older men that took part, now it's the young ones doing it."

Kirsty Walker, 14, of Cape Road, Seaton, said: "I am supporting the Uppies and I think they will win. Most of my friends and family are taking part."

10.37pm

The hailer was Luke Bainbridge, 18, of Kennedy Road, Seaton. He has been playing since he was 11 and it is the first time he has hailed. He said: "I got the ball in the scrum and then I was free. It feels brilliant and I'm on top of the world."

Uppies and Downies player Joe Clark said it was the best game in a long time.

10.22pm

It's all over - the ball has been hailed at Workington Hall by the Uppies.

10.14pm

Stalemate as tussles are ongoing on the cricket pitch and it's now too dark to see the ball. No major casualties tonight by the looks of things. Has there ever been a draw?

9.48pm

The ball is still on the cricket pitch. Not much movement from either side;  a few spectators have left but there's still a lot of support.

9.21pm

The ball is still on the cricket pitch. It has gone from one end of the pitch to the other and even got as far as the police sstatino wall but is not just back in the middle, not going anywhere, just like the crowd.

8.50pm

In an abrupt turnaround - the ball was thrown over the wall of the town's cricket ground and it looks as though the downies are making ground. It could be a draw as we go into the third match on Saturday.

8.35pm

Uppies have made a late break for it - the ball is now outside the former Matthew Brown Brewery on Ladies Walk.

After a bit of frantic movement, the game has now slowed to almost a standstill again. 

As darkness falls, it looks like it will be another Uppies victory but reporters Ian Waterhouse and Karen Evans don't want to call it.

8.20pm

The woman has been taken to the West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven for treatment.

Meanwhile, the ball hasn't moved much and as the light fades, scrums are still forming all over the Cloffocks.

8.02pm

Paramedics are currently treating a woman in her early 20s at the side of the beck, who, it is understood, has had a seizure.

Police are stopping people using the bridge.

7.51pm

Uppies still have the advantage, the ball is close to Wilkinson again but there have been a few breaks in the last few minutes and there's a spirited resistance from the downies.

Kirsty Walker, 14, of Cape Road, Seaton, said: "I am supporting the Uppies and I think they will win. Most of my friends and family are taking part."

7.34pm

Four minutes later and it was a short-lived success for the downies as the ball travels back over the beck. . .

7.30pm

The ball has gone under the bridge and it's now looking like it could go the Downies' way - for the first time in some years. It's close hoguh and could go either way. 

7.18pm

The ball is now back in the beck.

About five minutes prior to that, veteran player Craig Sowerby said: "I was in the beck at the very beginning and now I'm waiting for it to come back."

7.15pm

It's looking like an Uppies victory  as the ball is being pushed further along the field.

7pm
The crowd is moving slowly towards Wilkinson. It's a large crowd with lots of little scrums breaking out all over the place.

Sylvia Morgan, 54, was born and bred in Distington and was never allowed to see the matches when she was growing up.

An uppies supporter, now living in Ayrshire, she has come to Workington with her niece Donna Barrow, 21, and her brother Kenneth Barrow, 55.

6.46pm

The ball was thrown off by Jennifer Dagliesh, 21, of Harrington Road, Workington.

She was the first woman to throw off the ball on a Tuesday since 1941.

The ball has just left Allerdale council's car park and it looks like the Uppies have the early advantage.

There's about 1,000 people on The Cloffocks - could be due to the overcast weather or because it's midweek.

First published at 17:58, Tuesday, 14 April 2009
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk