PRESTON had a disastrous Spring Bank Holiday, suffering two defeats within 48 hours.

On Saturday they were beaten by Lancaster at Lune Road by eight wickets.

Put into bat they were dismissed for 137, with Lancaster's West Indian one day International professional Laurie Williams taking six wickets for fifty-six.

Only captain Graham Standring offered any real resistance, with an innings of 42 runs.

Lancaster raced to victory, with opening batsman David Heywood carrying his bat with 54 and his opening partner Phil Dennison making fifty.

On Monday, at South Meadow Lane they had no answer to St Annes professional, the former West Indian Test cricketer Eldine Baptiste, who took 8 for 26 as Preston were bowled out for 80.

St Annes cruised to victory by six wickets with Baptiste top scorer with 36.

Chorley are the new league leaders having gone three points clear of Lancaster. Both teams won on Saturday but Lancaster lost their local derby against Morecambe on Monday, while Chorley had a 95 run victory over Darwen at Windsor Park.

Leyland lost both their holiday fixtures.

On Saturday, Chorley beat them by eight wickets, and on Monday they lost their local derby against Leyland DAF by two wickets at Sandy Lane.

Leyland DAF had the happier weekend managing two points in a losing draw at St Annes.

Leyland are still propping up the table with seven games with Preston next to bottom.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.