DARWEN'S amazing season continued at Preston with a resounding eight wicket victory - their 14th of an unbeaten campaign.

After winning the toss and asking Preston to bat, the Darwen bowling quartet of Richard Petrie, Andrew Mercer, Gareth Cordingley and Jeff Hacking, supported by keen fielding - held Preston in a vice-like grip despite middle order resistance from Johnson and Williams with a stand of 31 before they departed from consecutive balls as Preston could only reach 125-8 from their 50 overs.

With rain a possibility, Darwen's reply was emphatic with an opening stand of 49 between the in-form Graham Ainslie and Chris Lowe before Ainslie departed for 36 with Lowe being run out for 16 with the total on 65. This brought together professional Petrie and Gareth Cordingley who steered the Birch Hall side to a comfortable win with 19 overs to spare, the outstanding Petrie reaching a well-deserved half century as victory was achieved.

With St Annes also recording two weekend victories, Darwen still have a nine-point lead at the top of the table with two games remaining and the two sides meet at St Annes on Saturday in the Northern League's match of the season.

Victory for Darwen would give them the title for the first time in 12 years and a defeat or a draw would leave everything to be decided on the last week of the season. Darwen are also attempting to become the first club for 22 years to go through the season unbeaten and only the fourth in Northern League history.

Leyland DAF's last wicket pair defied the Chorley bowlers for 71 deliveries at Sandy Lane to deny the Windsor Park men a 15 points victory.

Chorley had posted 181-6 after Russell Cake (51) and Roland Horridge (56no) shared a second wicket partnership of 103.

DAF were soon in trouble in reply and slumped to 93-9 with more than 11 overs remaining.

But Chorley were then hampered by the loss of professional Josh Marquet (4-27) who pulled up in mid over with a back injury and a spirited 26 not out from Ben Henderson saw Leyland to a draw on 126-9.

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