PREVIEW AND T20, LEAGUE AND CUP WEEK ENDING 22 JUNE Holders Darwen commence T20 fixtures Atif Ashraf will be looking forward to Darwen's T20 campaign TWENTY20 CUP Darwen start their defence of the Northern League Twenty20 Cup on Tuesday 17 June away to Leyland. On Friday 20 June they entertain Chorley at Birch Hall and are then at home to Leyland on Friday 27 June with their final fixture being away to Chorley on Friday 4 July. All matches are scheduled to start at 6.00pm. Skipper Andrew Cook is really looking forward to the competition. Cook said: "We have won the Cup for two years now and we have a very experienced Twenty20 squad who are more than capable of giving any side a good game. With our professional Atif Ashraf in fine form following his century on Saturday in the league there are bound to be plenty of runs to entertain the crowds." Cricket Chairman Gary Jackson added: "With millions of pounds being pumped into the international Twenty20 scene it is not surprising to see local league sides pulling in large crowds for these fixtures, too. The good thing is that there is something on hand for all the family and the whole match takes a little over two and a half hours to complete. I hope lots of people come down to see us over the next few weeks." LEAGUE Kendal took over as leaders of the 3D Sports Northern Premier League last Saturday by virtue of an exciting four-run victory over Leyland at Fox Lane. Ikram Ullah's side bid to consolidate their hard-won position when Chorley are the visitors to Shap Road on Saturday. Chorley are fifth with opening batsman and wicket-keeper Josh Tolley in fine form. Tolley has hit five successive fifties and is the leading amateur run-maker with 442 at an average of 55. South African pro Friedel de Wet is second only to Kendal pro Ross McMillan in the wicket-taking stakes. It's a busy weekend for Kendal, who entertain local rivals Netherfield in the ECB Cockspur Cup on Sunday (1pm). Ross McMillan has proved to be a fine signing by leaders Kendal Second-placed Blackpool, who were indebted to pro Saj Weerakoon's 93 not out for a five-wicket win over Morecambe last Saturday, travel to Ernest Pass to play eighth-placed Barrow. Captain Paul Danson has led from the front this season and helped secure several victories batting second with calm, unbeaten innings, not least when he partnered Weerakoon in an unbroken match-winning partnership of 94 against Morecambe. Blackpool paceman, 20-year-old Richard Gleeson has already taken 26 wickets and is the top amateur wicket-taker alongside St Annes Stephen Twist. Barrow battled well to secure a fighting draw at Chorley on Saturday with Cumberland batsman Darren Clark hitting a fine 75 and combining with Sri Lankan professional Pasan Wanasinghe in a century partnership. Richard Gleeson has been among the wickets for Blackpool this season Leyland lost the leadership for the first time this season and David Makinson's side will be anxious to get back on track when they travel to face Carnforth. But they will face an in-form batsman in Carnforth's South African professional Ryan Bailey who hit the season's highest score, 162 not out at Netherfield even though he finished on the losing side. Bailey has hit 621 league runs at an average of 124, with two centuries and three fifties in eight innings. Just six points separates the top three and behind them defending champions St Annes are poised to challenge, just ten points behind the leaders. St Annes make the short journey up the coast to Fleetwood. Captain and wicket-keeper Duncan Whalley and leading batsman Atiq Uz-Zaman both picked up injuries in last Saturday's win over Preston and were forced to miss St Annes Lancashire Cup defeat at the hands of Kendal on Sunday and will be hoping to have recovered. Fleetwood will have been frustrating at having had last Saturday off after having won for the first time this season against Lancaster the week before. Sixth-placed Morecambe, who suffered their first defeat of the season at Blackpool, entertain Darwen at Woodhill Lane. Kiwi professional Bruce Martin finished on the losing side at Stanley Park despite making a highly responsible 70 and then taking four wickets but Morecambe badly missed their injured paceman Jono Gates. Darwen pro Atif Ashraf returned to his best form with a century in the draw with Lancaster and Kamran Anwar, one of a number of promising young bowlers to have been given their first-team chance with the club this year, took four wickets. Preston's run of two wins in a row came to a halt when they lost at St Annes last Saturday. Glenn Johnstone's side are at home to Netherfield who are two places above them in ninth. Netherfield captain Chris Parry hit his second century of the season against Carnforth while professional Callum Ferguson moved past the 500-runs barrier. STATISTICS (LEAGUE GAMES ONLY): Batting Name Club Runs Ryan Bailey Carnforth 621 Callum Ferguson Netherfield 506 Atiq Uz-Zaman St Annes 501 Josh Tolley Chorley 442 Ross Mc Millan Kendal 435 Pasan Wanasinghe Barrow 431 Stephen Twist St Annes 400 Bowling Name Club Wickets Ross McMillan Kendal 37 Friedel de Wet Chorley 33 Mansoor Ahmed St Annes 31 Ameer Khan Leyland 29 Pasan Wanasinghe Barrow 27 Richard Gleeson Blackpool 26 Stephen Twist St Annes 26 Scott Clement Netherfield 25 Bruce Martin Morecambe 25 Fielding Name Club Catches Mark Lomas Morecambe 10 Wicketkeepers Name Club Total Duncan Whalley St Annes 19 11ct/8st James Smith Blackpool 15 13ct/2st Ikram Ullah Kendal 15 12ct/3st Damien Gudgeon Morecambe 14 9ct/5st Lee Jones Fleetwood 13 7ct/6st Highest Score Name Club Total Ryan Bailey Carnforth 162 no Best Bowling Name Club Total Ross McMillan Kendal 7-15 FIXTURES DIVISION ONE Barrow v Blackpool Carnforth v Leyland Fleetwood v St Annes Kendal v Chorley Morecambe v Darwen Preston v Netherfield Lancaster no game In the Second Division leaders Chorley entertain 11th-placed Kendal but the game of the day could be at Stanley Park where second-placed Blackpool are at home to third-placed Barrow.The two clubs are tied on 103 points, 11 points short of Chorley. St Annes opener Andy Kellett leads the Division Two run-scoring charts DIVISION TWO STATISTICS: MOST LEAGUE RUNS Name Club Runs Andy Kellett Stc Annes 387 Neil Lauderdale Barrow 334 Tom Coxhead Leyland 312 Danny Welbourne Lancaster 303 MOST LEAGUE WICKETS: Name Club Wickets Andy Armstrong Blackpool 29 Nick Milner Morecambe 29 Christian Davies Darwen 26 Andrew Starkie Preston 25 MOST WICKETKEEPING DISMISSALS: Name Club Wickets Stuart Parker Leyland 19 (15ct/4st) MOST CATCHES AS A FIELDER: Name Club Wickets Philip Hartley Netherfield 9 John Hotham Chorley 9 HIGHEST SCORE: Name Club Wickets Neil Lauderdale Barrow 141 no v Carnforth BEST BOWLING: Name Club Wickets Ross Demming Chorley 7-14 DIVISION TWO (2ND XI) Blackpool v Barrow Chorley v Kendal Darwen v Morecambe Leyland v Carnforth Netherfield v Preston St Annes v Fleetwood Lancaster no game Sunday 22 June DIVISION TWO Blackpool v Fleetwood (brought forward from later in the season to accommodate Blackpool's county fixture) THIS WEEK'S TWENTY20 FIXTURES Tuesday 17 June Leyland v Darwen Friday 20 June Darwen v Chorley Sunday 22 June Round Robin at St Annes: St Annes v Blackpool (10-30am) St Annes v Preston (2pm) Blackpool v Preston (5pm) Tuesday 24 June Leyland v Chorley Friday 27 June Darwen v Leyland Lancaster v Morecambe SUNDAY'S CUP FIXTURES Sunday 22 June Thwaites Cup (Division One) Round One Fleetwood v Chorley (2pm) Thwaites Cup (Division Two) Round One Chorley 2nd XI v Fleetwood 2nd XI (2pm)- postponed until 29 June as Fleetwood 2nd XI are at Blackpool in the league Cockspur Cup Kendal v Netherfield (1pm) Team news to follow when received    Click Here to send your comments.