THE brothers Eccles, Darren and Dean did Darwen damage as Hoghton kept up their championship credentials.

The family run machine put together a commanding and almost unbeaten partnership of 134 in this reduced overs contest at Sandy Lane.

Hard-hitting Darren top scored with an unbeaten 92 while Dean was bowled by young Danny Heys on 63 just three overs short of completing the 25 over innings.

Darwen skipper Tony Beesley had to use a youthful bowling line-up in Heys, Gary Yates, Daniel Newton and Damion Pickup -- although Stuart Sharples upped the average age when he joined the attack!

Opening bowler Heys suffered early on but showed great character in his second spell to clean bowl Dean Eccles.

Newton also looked useful in his five over stint, bowling a maiden in his first and twice coming close to dismissing Darren Eccles in his third.

But it was the batting brilliance of the Eccles rather than any bowling inadequacies that was a key.

The pair hit seven fours apiece while Darren signed off with 23 runs off the final over -- including three sixes.

Beesley had faith in his batting line-up and at one stage it looked like they might just pull off a famous win.

They suffered an early blow when Andy Rigby got an edge on a rising ball and was caught behind off Colin Sibley's fifth delivery. But Beesley and Steve Scrimgeour soon settled and pushed Darwen's total on so much so that come the 12th over they were matching Hoghton's run rate.

However, Beesley misjudged a Sibley delivery in the very next over and was bowled just six runs short of his half century.

It was a shame because it brought a fruitful partnership to an abrupt end.

Sibley then went on to take two more wickets in his next three overs, David Brown for eight while Scrimgeour went for 30 after being caught on the boundary by Matt Eccles.

Colin Rigby did his best to maintain Darwen's run rate, eventually finishing unbeaten on 39. But in the end the Sandy Lane side ran out of overs and fell well just one run short of a bonus batting point.

Darwen 149-6 Hoghton 176-1

DARWEN 149-6

HOGHTON 176-1

Darwen 1 point

Hoghton 5 points

HOGHTON

Darrren Eccles not out...92

Dean Eccles b Heys...63

N Greenwood not out...12

Extras...9

Total (1 wkt)...176

Bowling: D Heys 8-0-35-1; G Yates 3-0-30-0; D Newton 5-1-21-0; S Sharples 7-0-65-0; D Pickup 2-0-20-0

DARWEN

T Beesley b Sibley...44

A Rigby c Matt Parkinson b Sibley...0

S Scrimgeour c R Eccles b Sibley...30

D Brown c and b Sibley...8

C Rigby not out...39

G Yates b Cleminson...3

D Newton c Matt Parkinson b Cleminson...0

P Brown not out...16

Extras...9

Total (6 wkts)...149

Bowling: C Sibley 12-0-70-4; S Taylor 10-0-58-0; A Cleminson 3-0-20-2