THIRTEEN wickets in two matches represented an excellent weekend's work for Kendal professional Kabir Khan, and the Shap Road men look a superior outfit than their current ninth place in the league suggests.

Overall, it has been an in-and-out sort of the season for Dave Fallows' men, but they are starting to believe in themselves and a disciplined five-wicket win over Lancaster on Saturday suggested they have the ability to kill off opponents.

Lancaster admittedly contributed to their own demise with some lacklustre batting and a poor day in the field, but Kendal kept their focus and achieved the objective.

Five ducks featured on the Lancaster scorecard and it was only South African professional Renier Munnik who held them together with a top-scoring 54, including nine fours.

When he came to the crease in the sixth over, Lancaster was already languishing at 21-3. Khan started thigns rolling by bowling Heywood without scoring and then an abysmal mix-up got rid of Ben Harrison run-out for two.

Kevin Howarth dug in an attempted yorker which Atkinson just kept out, but he could not get out of the way of a short-pitched ball next up and was caught behind.

Khan's slower ball then saw Phillips chip up a catch to Simon Little at gully and at 29-4, Munnik had plenty of work to do.

He and wicketkeeper Sparks took the score to 67 and when the latter carved 18 runs off a single over from Howarth, Kendal looked to be losing their grip.

Khan struck to have Sparks trapped leg-before for 27 but Munnik stayed around to take them to 103 when Ikram Ullah's diving catch got rid of the danger-man for 54.

A doubtful leg-before hastened Lancaster's demise as the lost five wickets fell for only 10 runs and they were all out for 113 in the 36th of a rain-reduced 43 overs, with Khan finishing with 6-30 and Howarth 3-39.

Batting on a damp pitch was not easy but Kendal opener Iram Ullah looked in charge and made a vital 41 after Gareth Ashburner (1) and Terry Hunte (7) both went cheaply.

Ullah hit three fours in four balls as Lancaster dropped him and then missed the simplest of chances to remove Simon Little.

When Ullah was leg-before to Barnes, Kendal were 70-2 and Little, dropped again on the boundary, compiled 36.

Khan fell to a superb one-handed catch by Munnik for nine, but at 100-4 Kendal were all but home and dry.

Howarth hit a six onto the pavilion and then a four through square leg before Little went caught behind.

It left skipper Dave Fallows to come in and sweep the winning single for victory at 114-5 two overs into the last 20. Veteran Barnes was the pick of the Lancaster bowlers with 4-43.

COMING UP: Kendal have no fixture on Saturday, but go to Leyland Motors in the league cup on Sunday.