Six League players in Minor Counties action

Barrow's Liam Livingstone makes his Cumberland three-day debut on Sunday

There is another busy weekend of fixtures ahead with four games in the Jamie Heywood Twenty20 Cup on Friday evening preceding an interesting programme of games on Saturday and Sunday.

On Tuesday evening Darwen continued their winning start to South Two Group in the Jamie Heywood Twenty20 Cup with a six wickets win at Preston. Darwen pro Mohammad Zaman Khan took 3/16 and Chris Clarke 3/21 to restrict the home side to 100/8; Khan then scored 52 in reply. John Cordingley's side has won all four of their games so far and are odds-on to qualify for Finals Day on 17 July.

The Scorecard can be found here:
http://npcl.play-cricket.com/website/results/1739007

Elsewhere Barrow and Kendal open North One group at Ernest Pass, Morecambe entertain Lancaster in their first T20 game of the season and Chorley are at home to Preston.

On Saturday Division One leaders St Annes are at home to sixth-placed Blackpool at Vernon Road. Blackpool had a tense victory batting second over Netherfield last Saturday and South African pro Con De Lange is settling in nicely at Stanley Park. De Lange hit an unbeaten 93 as Blackpool reached the third round of the LCB Lancashire Cup with victory over Darcy Lever on Sunday.

Netherfield have an interesting weekend ahead; on Saturday they are at home to Leyland with both sides joint second, 13 points behind St Annes.

On Sunday Netherfield are at home again when they play host to Lancashire Colts. Netherfield will again have the services of Accrington pro Ashar Zaidi on Saturday; Rochdale's Dieter Klein deputises as sub-pro on Sunday.

Morecambe and Chorley are joint fourth with a game in hand on the top three; Morecambe entertain Darwen at Woodhill Lane while Chorley are at home to Fleetwood.

Morecambe and Cumberland allrounder Chris Williams has a busy weekend

Barrow host Preston at Ernest Pass with pro Pieter Malan leading the runs charts with 471 at 58.88. Preston captain Lukman Vahaluwala leads the wicket-taking chart with 32 at 10.88.

In Division Two leaders Netherfield (106pts) travel to Fox Lane to take on second placed Leyland (104pts) in the Match of the Day. Third-placed Chorley are at Fleetwood.

Morecambe are in ECB National Club Championship action on Sunday when they are at home to Horwich from the Bolton Cricket League.

Cumberland open their Minor Counties Championship campaign with a three-day fixture against Bucks at Furness CC, play each day starting at 11am.

Six Northern League cricketers are in the Cumberland side with Morecambe's Chris Williams and Barrow's Liam Livingstone each making their Championship debuts.

Graham Dawson, the Barrow and Cumberland all rounder

Morecambe wicketkeeper Ikram Ullah, Barrow all-rounder Graham Dawson, Kendal opening batsman Jon Miles and Netherfield batsman Alex Atkinson are also in the side. Atkinson scored his maiden Minor Counties century in the corresponding game last year at Slough.

Cumberland reached the quarter-finals of the MCCA Trophy and will be away at Herefordshire on Sunday week, 19 June (11am start). This tie will be staged at Brockhampton CC. The final this year will be held at Lords.

Netherfield and Cumberland batsman Alex Atkinson