FORMER Durham Academy star Andrew Smith was among four century makers – bringing the total for the new season to seven – on a day when batting talent came to the fore.

His splendid unbeaten 106 against mid-table Newcastle helped lift his new club, Chester-le-Street, into second place after they reached 244-5.

Simon Birtwistle (74) joined Smith in a dazzling second wicket partnership to underline why they will be championship challengers.

The Cestrians, who won by an imposing 115 runs margin, bowled out their Tyneside opponents for a modest 129 with Luke Evans (5-15), their contracted Durham player, and Andrew Bell (2-12) doing the damage.

Second-placed South Shields slipped to third after Sunderland gained the larger share of the points in a drawn finish at Ashbrooke. The Wearsiders recovered from a mediocre start to post 223-9 with an unbeaten 75 from Chris Youldon, batting at number 8. Earlier in the innings the ever reliable Ashley Thorpe hit 45 to turn the tables on Shields for whom Matthew and Paul Muchall shared five wickets. Kris McShane got three of the other wickets in a splendid 20 overs; conceding just 38 runs.

Shields faced a difficult start to their reply with two of their top four batsmen being out without scoring.

But Chris Dorothy (33), Daniel Shurben (31) and Chris Rainbow (31) shook off the determined Sunderland attack led by Jaspreet Singh (3-52 from 16 overs). Shields finished 79 runs behind the home side on 144-7.

South Northumberland exploited Stockton’s current frailties to win their fourth successive game to top the table by 29 points. A century for Brendan Ford and 81 from Adam Heather put them on the road to the day’s top team score of 245-4 before Richard Brook (5-24) and Stephen Humble (3-55) put paid to any hopes of Stockton springing a surprise. Malintha Gajanayake hit a half century for the Teessiders who were all out for 166 - defeated by 79 runs.

Blaydon’s opening batsman Mark Stoneman hit a superb 110 against Gateshead Fell, but his team had to be content with the greater share of the points in a draw. Blaydon reached 241-7 with the Fell 68 runs behind in their reply of 173-8. Sri Lankan Geeth Alwis (74) their top scoring batsman.

Durham Academy took their first win of the season against Tynemouth (96 all out). The wickets tumbled to Mark Wood (3-18), Callum Harding (3- 22) and Ben Stokes (2-10). Ben Raine (34) made sure Tynemouth didn’t exploit the damp wicket.

Norton’s game on Teesside was the only match badly hit by the weather, but not before Ali Maiden got himself on the list of the day’s four century makers with an unbeaten 120 before the game was abandoned.