IN their Bay 96.9 Northern Premier League clash at Vernon Road on Saturday, St Annes threw away a promising position and lost to second-in-the-table Kendal by nine wickets.

Batting first, St Annes made 116 to which Kendal replied with 117-1 to win by nine wickets.

St Annes made a good start and had 54 on the board before a wicket was lost. But then the Kendal bowlers, with compliance from the St Annes batsmen, took all 10 wickets for the addition of just 62 more runs. Adrian Darlington made the top score of 31 before flicking Stuart Parkin to Kevin Howarth at square leg. And of the rest, only Gareth Evans (10) Dave Callaghan, a somewhat subdued 22 from 63 balls, and Adam Taylor, a fighting 10 batting at number 10, reached double figures. Richard Ellwood was the best of the Kendal bowlers, taking 4-36 from 23 immaculate overs.

The Kendal reply lasted a mere 23 overs as Kabir Khan smashed 47 runs with four fours and one six from only 33 balls, Simon Little made a slightly less belligerent 40 not out and the mercurial Terry Hunte finished it all off with 26 from 22 balls.

All-in-all it was a poor finish to the home season for St Annes.

BLACKPOOL suffered a heavy defeat at Darwen on Saturday.

The home side batted first and were 10-2 in the sixth over before a third wicket stand of 149 in 130 minutes between Keith Semple (116 not out) and Gareth Cordingley (70) put them in command and the innings closed at 230-4.

Blackpool were in trouble at 6-3 and never recovered, being 56 all out with only Paul Danson and Andy Kenyon getting into double figures.