WITH only one game remaining of the 1999 cricket season, St Annes are top of the Vaux Northern League by two points from Darwen.

St Annes inflicted Darwen's first defeat of the season when they beat them by four wickets at Vernon Road with only one over remaining.

Put in to bat, Darwen lost their first wicket at 18 when Graham Ainslie was bowled by Joe Davies for six.

Chris Lowe and Gareth Cordingley took the score onto 44 before the latter was run out for twelve.

Half the Darwen team were dismissed for 98 when Jeff Hacking was caught by Andy Kellett in Dave Callaghan's second spell for 23.

Then Darwen professional Richard Petrie and Neil Cordingley featured in a sixth wicket partnership of 72 before the former was stumped by Duncan Whalley off Adrian Darlington for 59.

He batted 95 minutes, faced 81 balls and hit one six and seven fours.

Darwen's innings closed at 178-6 with Neil Cordingley not out 30 and Michael Douglas not out 4.

The St Annes reply started badly when Adrian Darlington was bowled by Richard Petrie for one with only two runs on the board.

Andy Kellett and Dave Callaghan took the score on to 25 before the former was bowled by Andy Mercer for 16.

Callaghan and Steve Twist redressed the balance with a 64 runs partnership for the third wicket before Petrie trapped Twist lbw for 40.

Half the St Annes team were dismissed for 112 when Callaghan was lbw to Gareth Cordingley for 41.

He batted 114 minutes, faced 85 balls and hit six fours.

Twist batted an hour, faced 58 balls and hit 6 fours in his aggressive 40.

Duncan Whalley and Sean Bickerdike swung the game in St Annes favour with a sixth wicket partnership of 28 before the former was caught by Michael Douglas off Richard Petrie for 21.

Then Bickerdike and Adam Cotton produced a match-winning unbroken seventh wicket partnership of 39.

Bickerdike who won the match with a boundary was undefeated with 28 and Cotton with 17.

It was a superb game of cricket which ended with only one over left.

St Annes should clinch the title at Stanley Park with their last match of the season against Blackpool.

Darwen have a tougher test with a home game against the current league champions Netherfield.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.