SKIPPER Stu Parkin and Chris Miller batted out the final three overs to give Kendal an unlikely losing draw against fourth-placed Darwen at Shap Road.

Kendal won the toss and decided to bowl but were made to pay as the Lancashire club's professional George Linde racked up a century as they posted a total of 271 off their alloted 50 overs.

In reply only three batsmen made double figures as Kendal stuttered to a total of 186 but the heroics of Parkin and Miller saw the home team thwart Darwen’s hopes of taking the maximum 15 points.

Linde opened the Darwen innings with Ammer Mirza and the pair were restricted to just eleven runs from four overs as Parkin and young Darren Nightingale bowled well.

But it was Parkin who took the first wicket in the seventh over as Mirza edged behind to the waiting Jamie How in the slips.

That brought Christopher Clarke (83) to the crease who, with Linde (103), set a 175 second wicket partnership propelling Darwen to 207-2 off 43 overs.

It was Parkin who brought an end to the partnership as Clarke was caught by Miller in the 43rd over before Linde fell caught and bowled to the captain soon after.

Reece Davies and Kamran Anwar fell for six and one respectively but John Cordingley and captain Jordan Clarke set about upping Darwen's total in impressive fashion.

The pair rattled off 45 runs in the final four overs with a string of boundaries to set Kendal the target of 272 to win.

The response started badly for Kendal as opener Richard Herron was clean-bowled by Anwar for just one run leaving the home side on 17-1.

New Zealand professional How was brought into the attack and set about his task with class with Darren Moore.

Moore was dismissed on 32 and his replacement Terry Hunte fell for a duck leaving Kendal struggling on 84-3 after 18 overs.

How and Ryan Shepherd looked to push Kendal to the required total but when big-scoring How (92), who hit eight fours and six sixes, was caught behind by Clarke attention turned towards trying to secure a draw.

Shepherd hit a quick-fire 34 before he was dismissed lbw by Linde, who finished with impressive bowling figures of 5-51.

Kendal still required 117 from 19 overs and when five quick wickets fell Miller and Parkin dug in to frustrate Darwen's bowling attack and dash their hopes of a win in a tense finale.