HOLDERS DARWEN LOSE AT LEYLAND IN 2020

Darwen's first defence of their T20 title ended in a narrow three-wicket defeat at Fox Lane against Leyland in their first group game on Tuesday evening.

But Andrew Cook's young side could take heart from an outstanding display of out-cricket as they fought to the end to defend a modest total of 126 for 6.

Kamran Anwar made two brilliant catches and Mark Emery another but Leyland, despite losing a flurry of wickets in the tense closing stages, won by three wickets with four balls to spare.

Darwen's innings featured a solid 30 from professional Atif Ashraf before he was third man out, caught and bowled by Peter Cummings in the 11th over with the score on 59.

Darwen pro Atif Ashraf made 30 before he fell to Pater Cummings

James Rounding had bowled a fine opening spell to dismiss Chris and Jordan Clarke. The former was surprised by a rearing delivery and was caught by Tom Reece, the latter was bowled.

Teenager Niall Burke batted with maturity to reach 32 before he was bowled by Leyland professional Ameer Khan.

But it was fourth-teamer Joe Anderson who provided the fireworks with a superb 33 not out that included four sixes, including successive sixes off Ameer Khan, and helped give Darwen a competitive total.

Darwen's Joe Anderson hits Ameer Khan for one of his four sixes

Captain David Makinson and Stephen Cartwright supported Rounding with good spells but Cummings and Khan were expensive.

Leyland opener Chris Parkinson narrowly escapes being run out

There was no hint of the drama to follow as Leyland openers Karl Cross and Chris Parkinson calmly added 68 for the first wicket before Cross was run out for 38 in the 12th over.

Parkinson and Khan then took the score past the century-mark before the former was bowled by Yakub Bhamji for 37 to leave Leyland 101 for 2 in the 16th over.

Andrew Makinson was next to go, victim of a superb Kamran Anwar catch at mid-on off the bowling of Darwen captain Andrew Cook.

And when Ameer Khan was caught by Anwar at mid-off, a stunning, diving effort, off Bhamji Leyland were rocking at 110 for 4 in the 18th over. The tension increased as Tom Reece was run out in the same over after a misunderstanding with Cummings

Needing 17 to win off the last two overs, Rounding hit Cook for a vital boundary before Cummings was caught by Anderson to leave seven still wanted off the final over.

Leyland skipper Dave Makinson hit the first ball from Anwar for a six over long leg to tie the scores before he fell victim to a stunning Emery catch at mid-wicket off the third ball of the over.

Leyland captain David Makinson struck a vital six in the last over

But Leyland wicket-keeper Matthew Watkinson kept his head, striking his first ball through mid-on for the winning boundary to decide an outstanding game.