KENDAL skipper David Fallows and opener Simon Little blasted Kendal back to the forefront of the chase to catch Netherfield at the top of the Northern Premier League table on Saturday.

The pair put on a match-winning partnership of 93 in just nine overs to enable the Shap Road side to pocket 12 points from an exhilarating eight-wicket win over Lancaster.

Only Netherfield and Kendal registered victories in the top-flight on another weekend plagued by poor weather.

It left Kendal 18 points adrift of the defending champions in second place and still with the championships in their sights before the teams' meeting on Bank Holiday Monday

Fallows said: "We are playing good cricket as a team and are feeling confident about our abilities.

"It is a hard run-in but two wins from the Bank Holiday weekend could make all the difference to our title chance."

Kendal had confined Lancaster to a score of 151-7 when the umpires brought the sides off in the persistent rain three overs from the end of their scheduled 60-over innings.

That target was more than had looked likely and Lancaster had Luke Phillips' unbeaten 52 and Ben Simm's 31 to thank for a late flourish after they had been a perilous 61-5 and them 117-7.

Spinner Richard Ellwood took 3-51 and professional Kabir Khan

2-28, while Craig Brown, stepping up from the second team, conceded only 15 runs from his seven overs.

Two hours were then spent watching the rain pelt down, but when play restarted Kendal picked up the gauntlet of a testing run-chase and were up with an

asking-rate of seven runs per over.

Sixty-two was added in nine overs when Kabir's full-blooded hit was superbly held at cover point.

Then another quick blow followed as Terry Hunte followed bowled by Simmor the addition of two runs.

Fallows and Little then took a grip of the situation and shared a quickfire unbroken third-wicket stand of 93 to seal victory.

Fallows raced to 55 with two sixes and five fours off 38 balls, while Little joined in the strokeplay for 49, with three sixes and two fours, including a six taken off his legs over midwicket to end the match on 155-2 with five overs still to spare.

n Efforts to play the Slater Cup semi-final involving the two teams at Shap Road were foiled by rain and the match will now take place at Shap Road this Sunday (1.30pm).

When play ceased, Kendal were chasing Netherfield's total of 143-9, of which Simon Dutton made 56 and Tommy Prime 32, Kabir Khan taking 4-21.

In reply, Kendal were 46-2 off 11 overs.

Nine more overs needed to be bowled to constitute a match and Kendal would have faced a rain-reduced target of 72 if they had been able to get back on.