DARWEN's cricketers enjoyed a highly successful first weekend of the season with a thrilling last over league win against Kendal on Saturday and a comfortable victory yesterday over Harris Park to progress to the second round of the National Knockout Trophy.

The Foundation for the league win was an impressive 63 from new professional Richard Petrie and an unbeaten 59 off 58 balls from new skipper Jeff Hacking including five sixes as the Birch Hall side reached 170-7. Kendal were always struggling in their reply against some fine bowling from Petrie, Andrew Mercer and Gareth Cordingley who took three wickets each as the visitors bowled out with five balls remaining for 91 to give Darwen a 79 run victory.

Yesterday the stars were Paul Rodden, who ripped through the Harris Park batting with an amazing return of 7-20 from nine overs as the visitors were bowled out for 119, and Graham Ainslie who carried his bat for an unbeaten 59 as Darwen reached their target with 13 overs to spare. Their reward is a home tie in the next round against Leyland. Leg spinner Keith Eccleshare was Chorley's match winner as they made a flying start to their Northern League programme at Lancaster.

Eccleshare picked up 6-30 from 11 overs and professional Josh Marquet bowled very tightly to take 2-29 from 18 as Lancaster subsided from a promising start to 94 all out.

Roland Horridge was unbeaten with 46 as Chorley eased to a seven wickets win and 12 points.

At Windsor Park yesterday Chorley defeated St Annes by 30 runs in the first round of the Abbott Ale national knockout competition. A fourth wicket partnership of exactly 100 between Neil Bannister (73) and Russell Cake (56no) was the highlight in Chorley's formidable total of 202-5, Cake's polished half century coming at a run a minute from 54 balls.

In reply St Annes were bowled out for 172 in the 43 of the allotted 45 overs.

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