PAUL Dodds and Darren Braithwaite both produced noteworthy batting knocks to lead Kendal to their first win of the season against Preston at Shap Road.

Captain Saeed Bariwala top scored with 69 as the visitors were restricted to 178 from their 50-over allocation, as Chris Miller’s off-spin claimed four wickets.

In reply, Dodds made a vital 66 at the top of the order although a 53-run sixth wicket partnership between Braithwaite and Gary Baker proved pivotal as Kendal secured victory.

Skipper Stu Parkin claimed the first Preston wicket to fall as Sajid Patel was caught by Ryan Shepherd for 22, with the West Cliff outfit 34-1 off 11.2 overs.

Eight overs later, Miller had Mohsin Modhi caught behind by Gary Baker for three before Bariwala and Soyeb Dukanwala added 58 for the third wicket – the highest Preston partnership of the innings.

The score moved onto 117 by the time Miller claimed the wicket of Dukawala, caught by Dodds, with the final ball of the 32nd over.

Kendal then made the crucial breakthrough as Bariwala was dismissed for a 107-ball 66, which included seven fours and two sixes, as Jamie How notched his first scalp of the summer.

Preston then proceeded to lose batsmen at regular intervals, with their final six wickets falling for the addition of just 54 runs, as Miller bowled Younis Khan for one.

Javed Khan added three before How struck for the second time as Sarfarz Navaz Patel was run out by Graham Baker for 16, with Preston 148-7 in the 43rd over.

Adam Cowperthwaite returned to snare his only wicket of the match, bowling Miya Ahmet Lunat who offered brief resistance with a knock of 23.

Miller bowled Soyeb Kapadia for four en route to figures of 4-49 from 16 overs, before Kendal’s former skipper rounded off a successful day in the field by running out Mohmedrafik Patel for six.

Chasing 179 for victory, Kendal made a solid start as Ben Harrison and Dodds shared 45 before the former was dismissed for ten off the bowling of Andrew Starkie.

In his next over, Starkie claimed the prized wicket of How, trapped in front for just two, as the former New Zealand international failed to build on his opening day century at Penrith.

Dodds and Ryan Shepherd steadied the ship by sharing a 42-run partnership in exactly 12 overs before three wickets inside seven overs had Kendal rocking at 112-5.

The first to go was Shepherd, stumped by Modhi off the bowling of Bariwala for 20, before the off-spinner brought Dodds’ enterprising contribution to an end.
After five fours and two sixes, Dodds departed for a 95-ball 66 with the run out of Terry Hunte for eight in the 36th over leaving Kendal requiring 67 with five wickets in hand.

Facing a potentially fragile situation, Gary Baker and Braithwaite combined to great effect to take the game away from Preston, adding 53 for the sixth wicket in 9.5 overs.

The vital innings came from Braithwaite whose 38-ball knock, which included two fours and a six, produced 37 crucial runs.

By the time Gary Baker was bowled by Mohmedrafik Patel for 23, Kendal only required a further 14 runs from 29 balls for victory.

Mohmedrafik Patel claimed his second wicket of the day by bowling Braithwaite, although Graham Baker and Cowperthwaite scored the necessary runs as Kendal won with five balls to spare.