Readers Durham Cricket League

BURNMOOR and Tudhoe both produced champion performances – but only one can take the coveted title with Saturday’s head to head likely to be a straight contest for the crown.

Their game at Esh Winning was meant to be a major stumbling block for Burnmoor’s title hopes, but it was simply another stepping stone to success as the leaders hammered the hosts by nine wickets to cement their place as leaders at the same time as ensuring a top-two finish.

That should mean promotion for the Moor, although that will have to be rubber stamped by the NEPL facilities committee who visited all contenders last week to carry out late August inspections.

No doubt the tabletoppers will be looking for an early decision so they can then focus on the big title battle with Tudhoe.

The game itself was something of an anti-climax, Esh unable to cope with the twin strike force of Karl Bellerby and Stephen Meek who ran through their batting line-up in 22.5 overs.

The collapse started early with the home side stumbling from 11-3, to 36-7 and then 62 all out. Bellerby bagged 5-21 and Meek 5-36. The run chase lasted all of 11 overs as Paul Craig (26 not out) and Dave Lowther (27 not out) eased home.

Not to be outdone Tudhoe swamped Crook Town by 169 runs to also secure their top two standing and they, like Burnmoor, await the outcome of the ground inspection to learn their promotion fate.

The high flyers rattled up 264-2 before declaring after 36.2 overs of batting, Ross Hodgson amassing a thrilling 171 from 111 balls and including 11 sixes and 17 other boundaries in the onslaught.

A more sedate 58 from Ian Grainger, and an unbeaten 32 from Danny Thexton, completed the carnage and, understandably, Crook folded quickly for 95 as Kushen Kishun kissed goodbye to his time at Tudhoe with a farewell five wickets.

At the opposite end it’s still all to play for, with Crook slipping into the relegation quagmire after their Tudhoe tanking. With Evenwood already relegated, 18 points now separate Crook from second-bottom Marsden, with Hylton sandwiched between the troubled pair.

Hylton turned in a top drawer display to improve their survival chances, skipper Alan Mustard (4-26 and 48) leading by example as Dawdon were pinned down to 168- 8, and Hylton rattled off the required runs in 26 overs.

Marsden hung in with an equally impressive performance as they defeated Philadelphia by six wickets, skipper Chris Mann cutting the mustard also as he bagged four wickets before hitting an outstanding 85.

Durham City are champions of Division Two after bulldozing their way past the challenge of Ryhope as the home team slumped to 80 all out in 23 overs.

Things didn’t look too bad when Ryhope stood on 34-1, but the last nine wickets fell for the addition of only 46 more runs as Paul Moralee (4- 40 from 9 overs), Nick Maiolo (2-4) and Nick Howe (2-6) took complete control.

Maiolo then cracked 34 from 23 balls to blast City to the title inside 14 overs, although for Ryhope’s Josh Dick there was also some cause for celebration as he claimed all three Durham wickets to fall on his first team debut.

With Bill Quay idle Whiteleas took the race for the second promotion spot into the final week by defeating Silksworth by eight wickets, a workmanlike performance earning them 29 points to move them to within 13 of second-placed Quay.