NETHERFIELD Cricket Club captain Ben Barrow has hailed winning the Northern League title as his proudest moment in cricket.

The Parkside Road team set an impossible pace for the rest of the division in a remarkable run that has seen them lose just once all season.

They wrapped up their first league title since 2008 with a 62-run victory over their relegation-threatened rivals Kendal at Shap Road on Saturday.

"It's amazing," declared the delighted skipper. "Everyone at the club is really happy – it's a massive achievement and we're really proud of ourselves.

"It's definitely my proudest moment. Winning cups is always good but it's only four or five games. To win the league, you have to do it all season."

With another league match played on Monday, the champions extended their winning run in a low-scoring encounter at Morecambe. After proclaiming the current side as the strongest Netherfield team he has seen, Barrow said there would be no lifting off the gas in the final two matches.

"This is by far the best team I've played in," he said. "Everything seems to have clicked and we've had a pretty well-set team all year which has helped with our consistency.

"But we want another 30 points to get us close to 300 which would be a great achievement. Last year's winners won with 260, and that was with two extra games, so it shows what we've done this year and it's a chance to lay down a marker to other sides."

Chris Miller, Barrow's counterpart at cross-town rivals Kendal, was also full of praise for the newly-crowned champions.

"I think what they've done has been brilliant," he said. "Their top order batsmen have scored runs when, throughout the league, batters have struggled.

"It hasn't been a run-filled season for anyone but them and it just shows how they've been able to close out games, and their bowling unit is really well drilled as well, led by Marc Hadwin who has been outstanding."

The only downside for Netherfield on a celebratory weekend was seeing their Pro 40 defence come to an end at the hands of Leyland on Sunday.

Barrow said: "We maybe went a little bit too hard celebrating on Saturday but I don't think it's why we lost on Sunday, but it's a tough one to take.

"We let ourselves down with the bat but we've no complaints, it just wasn't to be."