A COMMITTED team effort from Kendal was rewarded with a 35-run victory over reigning Northern Premier League champions Darwen at Birch Hall on Saturday.

Professional Kabir Khan led the way with the bat, hitting 104 - his second century for the club this season - out of a total of 228-7.

Put in to bat, Kendal openers Kevin Howarth and Gareth Ashburner got the visitors off to a sound start with 41 for the first wicket.

When Howarth went for 30 in the 13th over, he was one of three wickets to fall for just 16 runs with Terry Hunte (8) run out and Simon Little also going cheaply.

Despite standing at 57-3, Kendal showed bags of character to recover after newcomer Ullah (14) had helped to take the score on to 79.

Ashburner showed grit to play the anchor-role and Khan put together a well-judged innings to launch the fightback.

Together this fifth- wicket pair put on 70 valuable runs to lift Kendal's score to 147 when Ashburner was run out for 44.

Khan then accelerated the run-rate impressively. His first 50 came off 72 balls but he raced to his century in 29 balls with three sixes and 13 fours in all.

Darwen's opening bowler Andrew Mercer took 4-80 as the best of the home bowlers.

Seventeen-year-old paceman James Rafferty was the star of Kendal's bowling attack, taking 4-37 before he had to be withdrawn from the fray for a rest as per regulations for young bowlers.

Darwen had added 50 for the second wicket when Kevin Howarth struck a crucial blow to remove West Indian professional Keith Semple (38), and three wickets went for 10 runs.

Gareth Cordingley (48) was a big scalp when he was seventh wicket to fall with the score on 168, Howarth (2-66) again striking another vital blow.

Kendal had the initative back and when J. Cordingley was run out for 28, they polished them off for 193 and a stunning victory.

COMING UP: Morecambe visit on Saturday ahead of a trip across town to Netherfield on Monday.