Good form continues for Kendal in Carnforth encounter (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Good form continues for Kendal in Carnforth encounter

3:23pm Monday 2nd July 2012 in Lancaster and Morecambe news By Scott Kirk, Reporter

KENDAL continued their excellent league form with a tense 26-run success over bottom side Carnforth at Shap Road.

It is a month since Kendal last tasted defeat in the Northern League, although their latest victory was closer than they would probably have liked.

Carnforth won the toss and put Kendal in to bat. It was a steady start for Kendal, Donovan Du Plessis and Graham Baker scoring just higher than two runs an over.

Du Plessis was caught and bowled by Darren Nelson in the 10th over to leave Kendal on 23-1 and in the 19th it became 47-2 after Graham Baker was dismissed by Adam Cowperthwaite for 23, Lewis Bradley catching him at deep mid off.

But then it was time for the dream team of pro Jamie How and Terry Hunte, and they notched up a 75-run partnership to put the Shap Road outfit firmly in the driving seat, How striking a gigantic six onto the clubhouse roof in the 25th over.

Bradley took a memorable one-handed catch on the boundary when Hunte tried to slog a maximum score, the West Indian out for 37 off 48 balls to put Kendal on 122-3.

Darren Braithwaite added 12 when he was caught and bowled by Cowperthwaite in the 41st over, and a few balls later How was caught on the boundary by Bradley Hoyle, having scored a very good 62, leaving Kendal 158-5.

Rain stopped play twice during Kendal’s innings as heavy but infrequent showers battered the pitch, and just three overs per side were lost.

Kendal declared on 175-5 in the 44th over, giving Carnforth 50 overs to beat that total.

But the away side looked like they wouldn’t need those overs as they got off to a terrific start with an opening partnership of 44 runs.

Stu Parkin was hit for 13 on the third over and 10 in the fifth over as Cowperthwaite scored 34 off 29 balls before he edged to How at slip off Jack White in the eighth over.

Pro Toby Bulcock came in at three and he went on to score 23, the same as opener Ryan Nelson.

But the wickets were also falling as the runs were put on the board and Carnforth went from 81-3 to 104-7 between the 16th and 20th overs.

Darren Nelson (21) and Bradley Hoyle (27) rallied for Carnforth, and put on an eighth wicket stand of 39 to get Kendal sweating as they reached 143-7, just 33 runs shy of victory.

White bowled Nelson in the 34th over, and it was tense as the away side moved onto 149-8 three overs later.

Nick Lewthwaite was the man to get the two remaining wickets in the 37th over, first trapping Hoyle LBW, and three balls later bowling Wayne Tomlinson to give Kendal a 26-run win and another 15-point maximum.

White, Miller, How and Lewthwaite all chipped in with wickets.