A STIRRING 81-run victory for Netherfield, snatched with three overs to spare against Kendal on Bank Holiday Monday, gave them 42 out of a possible 45 points from their last three matches and propelled them to the top of the Northern Premier League.

It came after Netherfield recorded their highest-ever score in a league game as they made the most of a batsman's wicket at Parkside Road and piled up 304 for 3 off their full 57-over allowance.

Netherfield got off to a perfect start before a big crowd enjoying the sunshine as Craig Walmsley and Tommy Prime shared a century opening stand in just over 22 overs.

The 100 came up when Kendal missed a breakthrough, Gareth Ashburner misjudging his positioning for a catch at mid-on as the shot bounced beyond him and ran to the boundary.

Two runs later, however, Craig Walmsley sent a thick edge in Adam Cowperthwaite's second over straight to Dave Fallows at point.

Netherfield's strong batting line-up remained unnerved and Gareth White, having survived a difficult caught and bowled chance over Chris Miller's head on one, went on to make an unbeaten 109 off 116 balls, hitting 15 fours.

White and Prime added 45 for the second wicket to take the score on to 147 in the 31st over when the skipper was another victim for Cowperthwaite (2-24) turning an attempted leg glance to the keeper for 87 including 12 fours.

Kendal's hopes of containing the run feast never materialised as professional Dale Benkenstein and White shared a third-wicket partnership worth 134 in 22 overs.

The 200 came up with still 16 overs to go and Kendal pushed most of the fielders back to the boundary.

Benkenstein became the third Netherfield wicket to fall with the score on 281 when Kabir Khan breached his defences with a yorker.

White brought up his century by running a single down to third man and then cracked two successive fours to take the score past 300, a score that suggested they had no intentions of losing.

Faced with such a hefty target in fewer overs, not many teams would have picked up the gauntlet, but Kendal did and after losing Kevin Howarth for 11 they had Netherfield nervously wondering if the improbable might happen.

New recruit Ikram Ullah played a mixture of touch shots and well-timed strokes on his way to a top-scoring 70, with 14 fours, and he and Terry Hunte put on 101 for the second wicket in exactly 16 overs.

Leg-spinner Marc Hadwin was a risky call-up to the attack but it paid off when he had the dangerous Ullah caught by Ben Hadrigg at deep square leg in his second over.

Kendal added 17 more runs before Simon Little was caught behind for 1, but Khan and Hunte continued to go for their shots. When 19 came off a single over from Benkenstein, Kendal again had their hosts sweating again. The demise of Hunte (65) and Khan (19) in the space of two runs ended the dream, however, and at 170-5 Kendal settled in to play for the draw.

In badly fading light, Netherfield crowded the batsmen and with another 20 overs to negotiate, Kendal's resistance gradually folded as Stuart Nixon's quicker ball did the damage and three lbw decisions hastened the end.

Skipper Fallows (25) was the ninth wicket down but Kendal were still three overs off survival when Graeme Dodds held a superb low catch at slip to remove James Rafferty and bag all 15 points.