NETHERFIELD denied Barrow victory despite the heroics of sub professional Danny Salpietro, although the league leaders secured enough points to forge a clear lead at the division’s summit.

Level with Leyland before the start of play, the 25-year-old’s century was the standout contribution of the Barrow innings of 224-8, with Michael Wellings also making 72.

Salpietro also starred with the ball, taking four wickets, as Netherfield failed to make a winning charge but proved a thorn in the side of their high-flying hosts.

After being invited to field, the Parkside Road club made early inroads to the title-challengers’ batting line-up, with Stuart Nixon having opener Dean Williams caught behind third ball.

Ryan Brown – averaging 47.4 this summer – fell the same way with the score on 21, as Wellings and Salpietro joined forces at the crease to revive the Barrow innings.

The pair added 157 for the third wicket, with Wellings striking eight boundaries before holing out to Ben Barrow in the covers off the bowling of Colin Ackermann.

Salpietro, who plays for Rishton in the Lancashire League, and new batsman Sam Dutton – son of former Cumberland ace Simon – brought up the 200 in the 47th over.

The Australian eventually fell for 105, run out following neat fielding by Chris Parry at extra-cover, a knock which contained 13 boundaries.

It could have been very different, however, with Salpietro dropped twice, once while he was still in single figures.

Dutton was also run out for an entertaining 14-ball 25, before Nathan Chambers bowled Rhys Studt as Barrow finished on 224-6, with Nixon the pick of the visiting bowlers with 2-29.

In reply, Netherfield were under pressure almost immediately with openers Barrow and Marc Brown back in the pavilion with the score on ten.

Both batsmen were caught in the slips off the bowling of seamer Daryl Wareing and Salpietro respectively, with Ackermann falling sooner afterwards.

The away side were reeling at 14-3 when the South African professional became the Australian off-break bowler’s second victim, caught at mid-on by Studt.

John Huck and Chris Parry then combined to steady the ship and take the score to 47, before the former was caught behind by Tom Milligan off Salpietro.

This brought ex-Penrith all-rounder Greg Hall to the crease, who proved the mainstay of the Netherfield innings, top-scoring with 35 from 63 balls.

Hall hit six boundaries and cleared the ropes once in a resolute knock, batting out the most of the remaining overs to ensure his side avoided defeat.

Parry was run out for a determined 28 while Salpietro – who has featured for the Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash Down Under – dismissed Craig Walmsley for 11.

Hall and Bradley Earl were out in the middle as the 100 was brought up in the 31st over, before Wearing returned to claim two wickets.

The Barrow skipper dismissed Earl for 11 with Hall becoming the eighth wicket to fall with the score on 116, as Wearing returned figures of 3-29 from 17 overs.

Scott Clement and Chambers batted out the rest of the innings, with Netherfield claiming two points from the contest.

The nine points Barrow took from the fixture ensures a two-point lead over Leyland after the Lancashire club’s winning draw over Kendal, with all still to play for this weekend.