DARWEN tasted league defeat for the first time this season at St Annes and with it lost top spot in the table for the first time with one match remaining.

St Annes now only need to win their final game to clinch the title.

After losing the toss and being asked to bat first on a green wicket, Darwen found it impossible to escape from a stranglehold imposed by the St Annes bowlers.

After 30 overs they had only reached 60-3 including a controversial run out of Gareth Cordingley and after 40 overs the score had only advanced to 104 for the loss of two further wickets including skipper Jeff Hacking for 23 from 27 balls which changed the tempo of the innings. Professional Richard Petrie (59) and Neil Cordingley (30 not out) then plundered the St Annes attack smashing 74 from the final 10 overs including 20 in one over as the Birch Hall side reached a respectable 178-6 two runs short of a second batting bonus point.

Victory would have given Darwen the championship and they had immediate success removing both St Annes openers for 25 runs but were then held up by a fine partnership of 63 between professional David Callaghan and Twist and with further successes St Annes were reduced to 112-5 and again an enthralling game between the league's top two sides could have gone either way. Unfortunately Darwen only had one further success as the St Annes middle order stood firm and the winning runs came with six balls remaining, to enable St Annes to take over top spot with a two point lead going into the final games when Darwen entertain Netherfield and St Annes visit Blackpool. It was a mixed weekend for Chorley, who secured their Lancashire Cup place for next season by beating Preston in Saturday's Northern League fixture, but once again had to settle for runners up awards in yesterday's replay of the Vaux Bitter Cup final at Morecambe.

Chorley declared on 184-7 against Preston at Windsor Park, Nigel Heaton top scoring with 52, but they were made to work hard for their victory by Paul Paynter whose exhilarating 55 included seven fours and three sixes.

Professional Josh Marquet made the vital breakthrough and the visitors subsided from a promising 106-3 to 150 all out. Marquet finished with 3-27 and Iqbal Patel 3-44.

Chorley's loss of the toss proved crucial on a plum wicket at Morecambe. Skipper Nigel Heaton led the way with 78 in Chorley's 171-5, Dave Catterall hitting 25 not out from 20 balls in the closing overs of the innings.

But it proved least 20 runs short as another commanding innings from talented professional Ashwell Prince (76) set up Morecambe's victory by four wickets with three overs to spare.

Chorley have now finished losing finalists in both the league cups in each of the last two seasons.

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