NORTON will be back in the top division for the first time in 16 years next season, and they’ll be joined by Normanby Hall whose climb back after just one summer in the lower league led to a nail biting final hour.

The happy pair were promoted after a dramatic final day with Norton also clinching the Division One championship as the favourites, Blackhall, blew their best chance of returning by losing their last two games.

Norton, who only moved back to the top of their division when the Colliers lost form, were last in the league’s senior division in 1999 at the end of which they decided to become one of the founder members of the North East Premier. After failing to shine and becoming relegated to the Durham Senior League they left as it became defunct and have worked their way through two NYSD divisions in successive seasons to return to what they hope will be more glory days.

Normanby, whose chance of promotion seemed to have gone when they lost to Blackhall just two weeks ago, started out on Saturday five points behind the Colliers and finished up, after a winning draw, seven ahead. They return to the division where until last season they had always played and been champions on five occasions.

It was Normanby’s final Division One match against former premier side, Northallerton, which proved their most crucial. Henry Blackett’s outstanding recent form was the key to a successful innings, making 74 from 87 balls out of 202-6 before a declaration in the 38th over. Despite a battling 40 from Joe Clarkson, ‘Allerton slumped to 140-9 before their last pair held out to deprive Normanby of a win and a further eight points. However, with Blackhall suffering an agonizing five run defeat at Richmond, it didn’t matter.

The Thomas brothers shared the man-of-the-match accolade as Norton swept to a seven wicket victory over Hartlepool’s second team which carried them to their title success by a margin of 25 points. Club captain, Matty, took six wickets and his younger brother, Nick, smashed an unbeaten 89.

Whitby’s possible challenge as outsiders for a promotion place was washed away by the weather. Their game with Darlington RA was abandoned after the sea mist blanketed their ground early in the afternoon with just five overs played. They finished 22 points short of going up instead of Normanby.

With Darlington having already become the new champions, and both Saltburn and Sedgefield relegated, Saturday’s final premier games were largely just a matter of playing for pride. What, until a week ago, looked like being the match which would decide the championship, saw Richmondshire at Feethams keen to show Darlington the silverware with which they were presented was ‘borrowed’ for one season only.

It turned into a fascinating contest with just 23 runs separating the sides when bad light brought a premature end. The Quakers, taking first knock, made 167-6 from a reduced 35 overs with James Dobson (53 from 46 balls with ten boundaries) steering his side out of trouble after an early collapse.

James Clarkson (37) and Shani Dissanayake (36), on his last ever appearance after 12 years with the club, got together to put Richmond in a strong position on 128 for four but the light was fading quickly and on 144 without further loss the umpires called a halt.

Rob Carr (20 not out) was ready to launch a winning assault with just 24 runs needed from seven overs.

Southern-based Paul Raine, a former regular, was called up as a last minute replacement by Darlington for his first game of the season while visiting, and proved the most successful bowler with two for 20 from six overs. The league’s top wicket taker, Jon Barnes, added one more victim to finish with 77, ten more than his nearest rival, Redcar’s Muhammed Zahid.

Two centuries on the day, 104 from 78 balls for Sam Berry for Redcar, and 113 from 109 balls for John Watson for Saltburn, brought the total for the season to 32. Berry made merry against Marton with 70 in boundaries, including five six hits, and Watson’s was at Sedgefield with 86 in boundaries including three sixes.

For Saltburn the victory they enjoyed was their first all season, and it meant no side went winless in either of the top two divisions.

Hartlepool, who have scooped Dissanayake as one of next season’s ‘pros’, finished with three wins in five, their best run all summer.