A MAXIMUM points haul from an emphatic display against former leaders Durham City enabled table-topping Esh Winning to put some clear daylight between themselves and the chasing pack in the Durham Cricket League.

City have fallen away badly since heading the table a few weeks ago, three defeats and a draw seeing them drop down to sixth place and now seemingly out of the running.

Esh dominated this encounter, rattling up 222-7 in 45 overs and then declaring, skipper Dave Lawlor setting the scene with 7 fours and 2 sixes in a rip roaring start in which the opener scored 46 from just 23 balls. Michael Robson then added an unbeaten half century. Despite missing their two opening bowlers the Esh attack still managed to deliver the goods, bowling Durham out for 129 in 46 overs, Mark Davison picking up 3-41 as the six man attack all enjoyed wicket taking success.

It did turn out to be a case of ‘for whom the wedding bell tolls’ as a severely depleted Castle Eden, shorn of seven first teamers because of a wedding and holidays, went down to Dawdon in their top-of-the-table clash.

But Castle put up a battling display, making 153 in 40 overs with Liam Brown cracking 60 from 60 balls. They then had Dawdon on the ropes at 84-5 before James Dent (49 not out from 51 balls) joined his ever reliable skipper, Stephen Gale (66 not out in 108 balls), to ease their team to victory in 41.3 overs. Dawdon’s win earned 22 points, enough to move them above their beaten opponents into second spot.

Mainsforth maintained their challenge, a six wicket victory over Crook lifting them up to third place, although now some 26 points behind the leaders.

Town were pinned down to 145-8 in 47 overs, Steve Chapman holding the innings together with 75 from 137 balls, but then Pakistani international Faisal Iqbal showed his class, hitting 6 fours and 1 six in an unbeaten 63, his 84 minute stay at the crease producing victory inside 32 overs.

Horden became the latest side to heap misery on hapless Boldon CA who have just 15 points to show from their 12 games. Wayne Birks (102 from 88 balls) and Akshay Jambhekar (101 not out from 110 balls) took the opportunity to fill their batting boots in a 142-run opening partnership, Horden (223-1 declared) eventually winning by 111 runs.

It’s as you were in the NTSL with the top three all winning, although Swalwell’s lead over Shotley Bridge was cut by two points to just 8 after they failed to take the maximum return from their game at Percy Main which suffered a delayed start and became a 37 overs per side contest.

A 61-ball 62 from Lee Innes, who struck 9 fours and 2 sixes, provided the impetus for Swalwell to reach 175-6 in the first innings, and Main were never really in the hunt after that, ending on 122-7 to lose by 53 runs.

Shotley, meanwhile, were hammering relegation threatened Ponteland by nine wickets, Stuart Graham (6-15 in 12 overs) blasting out the strugglers for 74, but third-placed Ashington were given more of a fight by Lanchester who managed to take eight home wickets in attempting to defend a modest 136. Anirudh Singh proved the match winner for the Colliers, batting through the run chase to end on 84 not out from 96 balls.