Hornby Park is set to host some of the major teams in club cricket over the next two days with Seaton Carew meeting NYSD leaders Richmondshire this afternoon, and tomorrow welcoming NEPL giants Chester-le-Street, alongside Yorkshire Premier League table-toppers Barnsley.

Having ripped up the form book and confounded the pundits with their Macmillan Cup success, Seaton now move on to the area finals of the ECB National T20 Cup hoping to emulate the exploits of league colleagues Great Ayton who went all the way to the national finals last year.

But the line-up facing them could not be more formidable.

They take on the Cestrians in the first semi-final at 10am, while Barnsley take on Central Yorkshire League outfit Wakefield Thornes in the other semi at 1pm. The winners meet in the final at around 4pm with the successful team going through to the last eight in the country.

Seaton today face the most successful NYSD side of the last few years, Richmondshire, who have Rob Carr in for Rob West.

Having won two championships in the last three seasons the Dalesmen arrive in the familiar position of leaders, and they will face hosts who have yet to win a league game and bottom of the table with relegation looking a near certainty.

Richmond could have been on their way to a league and cup double after dominating last week’s Kerridge Cup Final against Great Ayton before rain intervened. They had raced along to a total of 244-6 in 37.5 overs – the highest score ever made in a 40-over Kerridge final - with Mike Layfield on 137 not out, again the highest in the 40-over history, and within sight of the overall record of 155 set by Charles Groves for Redcar in 1930.

The Dalesmen start from scratch when the teams reconvene at Marske for the final on August 23rd. but meanwhile it’s down to league business with Richmond potentially looking for a maximum return from their game today.

Barnard Castle are beginning to live up to their pre-season billing as one of the title favourites, but after a week of rain they will face one of their stiffest tests this afternoon at Fountains Garth.

With spin having tended to dominate of late, seam bowling could come into its own this weekend in damp conditions, and there is no better exponent of it on the Priory pitch than Guisborough’s Chris Nicholls who already has 43 victims.

Barney are unchanged for their trip to North Yorkshire, while their hosts show two changes with Col Murray and James Mayhew replacing Tom Gittins and Steve Turner.

At the opposite end of the table these are nervous times, and there was late movement in the transfer market ahead of yesterday’s midnight deadline with Redcar’s Chris Veasey, who was on the verge of joining former club Marton before changing his mind and returning to the Seasiders, now in the Normanby Hall camp.

He starts, replacing his injured father Gary behind the stumps. Hall are at Norton, and cope without Sachithra Serasinghe who has returned to Sri Lanka, unlikely to return.

Norton face their own selection issues with Craig Symington unavailable and brother Marc doubtful with a calf injury. Bob Cotts and Chris Dunwell return, while Helen Fenby retains her place after impressing on her Premier debut last weekend.

The team in most danger at the moment is Marton, and they hope that the return from holiday of Jonny Spillane and Ben Hutchinson will boost their performance at Great Ayton where their hosts welcome back Joe Marsay after a foot injury.

Redcar, 18 points ahead of second-bottom Marton, bring in Dave Skipsey to keep wicket, and Dave Corps and Josh Ellwood are also back for the home game against a Hartlepool team missing unavailable Jon Rickard and Steve Purcifer.

James Beaumont is a key absentee for Stokesley when they go to Feethams to take on a Darlington side who have Jack Vickerman in for Matty Wheeler, and Marske make one change for the visit of Middlesbrough with Craig Gratton returning but Gary Lynch missing.

The Division One title race was blown open by last week’s surprise defeat of leaders Billingham Synthonia by relegation-threatened Middlesbrough. With Whitby picking up 25 points from their game the gap between the pair is now down to 11 with the Synners facing a tricky trip to Thornaby and the Seasiders off to play a Blackhall team in need of survival points.