A brace from Charlie Wyke and a Chris Maguire handed the Black Cats victory after they had fallen behind to a long-range Lewis Alessandra effort.
But who were the star performers against the Cumbrians, and who has work to do ahead of the League One restart on September 12? Scroll down and click through the pages as Phil Smith dishes out his merit marks:
13. Brandon Taylor
Had little to do on his first appearance of pre-season but handled possession well enough when the opportunity arose. 6 Photo: FRANK REID 2019
14. Bailey Wright
Rarely troubled as his side took charge of the game. 6 Photo: Frank Reid
15. Denver Hume
Brought instant drive and quality to the left flank as Sunderland began to overrun their opponents. 7 Photo: Frank Reid
16. Luke O'Nien
Stepped up from Saturday with his strong contributions in the final third and plenty of energy. 7 Photo: Frank Reid