A COMPELLING winning draw against Morecambe and a decisive defeat of St Annes made it a tremendous Bank Holiday for Kendal against the league champions of the past two seasons respectively.

Drawn matches can feature batsmen blocking out in a tortuous ending, but not on Saturday, when Kendal's home match against Morecambe saw as exciting a last over as imaginable.

Earlier the entertainment had begun with spectators treated to a glorious unbeaten 121 from Terry Hunte. It was his 41st league century and extended his record as the Northern League's most prolific scorer to 16,000 runs.

Hunte brought up his 50 in 61 balls before taking just another 32 balls to reach the 100. He hit six sixes and 10 fours in his 121 off 102 balls.

Kendal's decision to bat was repaid with Ikram Ullah and Kevin Howarth sharing an opening stand of 69 until Howarth was run out for 21.

Hunte's arrival meant more hard toil for Morecambe as he and Ullah, who made 69, added 109 to take the score to 170. Hunte only departed off the penultimate ball of the innings, caught at "cow corner" - on the deep midwicket boundary as he attempted to launch it out of the ground.

Set a target of 241 for five, Morecambe took up the run chase but found themselves in a difficult position needing 92 off the last 10 overs, Gareth Pedder lifted their challenge. He joined skipper Mark Lomas at the crease and smashed a rapid 40, with seven fours, as together they put on 72 for the sixth wicket in 10 overs.

It set up an exciting finish with skipper Lomas steering the visitors into the final over bowled by Kevin Howarth needing 12 to win with four wickets standing.

It was an eventful six balls - a wicket falling off the first, a single taken off the second, another wicket going before Lomas was left facing with two balls to and 10 wanted to win.

He thrashed a six to give himself a great chance, but could only punch Howarth's last ball to long-on for two, leaving Morecambe two short of victory on 240-8 and Kendal with a deserved nine points.