BLACKPOOL lost their fourth Vaux Northern League Division One game at Stanley Park on Saturday (June 27) to fourth-bottom of the league side Darwen whose professional Peter Sleep ensured a comfortable victory with a superbly timed batting effort.

Chasing Blackpool's modest 130-6 made in 47 overs, Darwen scored 132-3 to win by seven wickets with Sleep making a masterful 80 not out.

The heavy morning rain reduced the game to one of 47 overs and Darwen won the toss and put Blackpool in to bat.

Making one of their more dreadful starts Blackpool proceeded to lose three wickets by the time the total had reached 17.

Wiggans and Cornall then mounted one of Blackpool's all-too-regularly required fight backs with a stand of 66 in 55 minutes.

Wiggans had an element of luck in the early part of his inning but battled on to make 37, comfortably his highest score of the season, before he pushed forward at Bonner and was caught by wicketkeeper Braithwaite with the total on 83.

It had moved on to 92 when Cornall, 31, went the same way as Wiggans as he tried to cut Bonner outside the off stump only to get a faint edge which carried to the keeper.

Michael Moore had a bizarre escape when on one as he was given not out to what seemed a fair catch by Neil Cordingley at extra cover but he failed to profit and was caught by Gareth Cordingley for two in the next over from Sleep.

Paul Danson and Pat Newell added 29 in 14 minutes at the end of the innings with Danson 27 not out from 32 balls with one six and two fours and Newell 12 not out when the innings closed at 130-6.

Darwen had bowled their overs so quickly that they began their innings at 4-35 and, knowing that they had plenty of time, they started very slowly against some tight bowling from Sharp and Cresswell.

Ainslie was leg before wicket to Sharp for nought when the score was four and, in the 15th over, Lowe, four, was caught by Simmonite to slip off Sharp with the total only 16.

Gareth Cordingley then joined Peter Sleep - who had watched the early disasters from the other end - and the pair put together the decisive partnership of the match, 89 in 88 minutes.

But it could have been so different; having scored only one, Cordingley edged John Kirkby to slip where Sharp put down the chance.

The pair then made no further mistakes with Sleep stroking the ball all round the field, one over from Danson bringing him a pulled four, a superb drive through extra cover for four and a two for a delightful nudge backward of square.

When Bracewell came on to bowl Cordingley pulled a six from his first ball but perished later in the same over when he tried another pull only for the ball to be skied for Simmonite to take the catch.

His 35 was made from 64 balls with one six and five fours.

Beesley joined Sleep who had moved on to 80 not out made from 147 balls with nine fours when Beesley drove the winning boundary to take Darwen to 132-3 with more than eight overs remaining.

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