DARWEN’S three-match Northern League winning streak came to an end as they had to hang on grimly to earn five points from a losing draw at Blackpool.

It was a battle from the start for Darwen as they faced a Blackpool side buoyed by a rare Stanley Park show for Lancashire star Steven Croft.

Croft scored a superb 147-ball 130 to lead Blackpool to 238-7 as stand-in skipper Neil Cordingley, Yakub Bhamji and Chris Wade each took two wickets.

The Darwen reply was hindered by a finger injury to opener Mark Moore – but he bravely batted at number 11 and staved off 12 balls to help force the draw at 173-9.

Darwen pro Mohammad Zaman Khan had threatened to take his side towards victory as he hit 55, while Cordingley scored 41 and Alex Davies made 32 but Darwen were up against it as Croft claimed 4-49 with his spin.

Blackpool

S Croft ct Moore b Wade 130
J Mounsey ct Clarke b Bhamji 2
A Smith ct Anwar b Zaman Khan 10
Perera ct Jackson b Cordingley 13
A Furniss ct Clarke b Cordingley 16
M Moore ct and b Bhamji 4
S Mercer b Wade 8
A Hogarth Not Out 22
R Gleeson Not Out 25
Extras 8
Total (7 wickets, 50 overs) 238
K Anwar 7 0 35 0, Y Bhamji 9 0 46 2, Zaman Khan 20 1 97 1, N Cordingley 11 1 32 2, C Wade 3 0 21 2.

Darwen

N Burke LBW Gleeson 0
J Clarke ct Perera b Croft 19
Zaman Khan b Gleeson 55
A Davies ct Furniss b Croft 32
N Cordingley LBW Gleeson 41
M Emery ct and b Croft 0
K Anwar ct Perera b Croft 2
C Wade ct Hogarth b Mercer 5
Y Bhamji run out 1
N Jackson Not Out 0
M Moore Not Out 4
Extras 14
Total (9 wickets, 50 overs) 173
R Gleeson 15 6 37 3, A Hogarth 3 0 35 0, M Tidmas 3 0 19 0, S Croft 15 4 49 4, S Mercer 13 4 24 1, Perera 1 0 8 0.