A BOLD bid by South Shields to return to the Premier Division after just one season’s absence suffered a setback when they missed out on a seventh win by a tantalising margin of just two runs.

Topping the lower division table by 24 points they still look the most likely to be crowned champions, with Gateshead Fell most likely to be relegated to make way for them. The Fell, bottom of the Premier Division, are 31 points behind Sunderland in the fight for survival with just four games remaining.

They lost to Benwell Hill by seven wickets after being bowled out for 198, despite an 88-run partnership between David Daley (44) and Malik Javed (39) which had lifted their spirits following a poor start. They progressed from the loss of two wickets for two runs to reach 90 before losing out again. But then came a further collapse as the next four wickets fell with just four more runs added. As so often has been the case in previous games this season, Aussie Adam Whatley came to the rescue with a relatively carefree half-century and with James Sneller chipping-in with 44 they reached what might, on another day, have been a challenging total.

But the Hill, with Sameet Brar making 84 and featuring in a match-winning stand of 104, were always in control.

He enjoyed the company of Zohaib Khan, who hit 45, to see them reach the winning post with ten overs to spare.

Earlier Khan had been the game’s top bowler with excellent figures of six wickets for just 33 runs from 20 overs.

Sunderland, who are second bottom, continued to find it hard to shake off one of their poorest-ever runs of form. They were beaten by seven wickets by Stockton, whose own form had left them without a win in seven games during which time they had collected just 46 points and lost five times.

Richard Waite has been one of the few to stay in form and he was again top scorer with a stylish unbeaten 73 in this match at Grangefield.

The Wearsiders made 210- 9 with Dinesh Jayamuni, recently brought over from Sri Lanka, making a patient top score of 62 from 105 balls.

Kevin Ward was Stockton’s best bowler with three wickets in six overs for 24 runs.

Waite, who joined Matthew Brown (32) after the loss of two early wickets, got straight into his stride and his free-flowing innings was completed after 109 balls with ten boundaries.

Leaders South North continued their ruthless charge for the silverware against Tynemouth (161 all out) with a four-wicket win. Jonny Wightman (4-53), Stephen Humble ( 3- 27) and David Rutherford (3-37) all weighed in with convincing displays before Karl Turner top scored with 46.

Dukes ECB NEPL by Chris West Chester-le-Street’s Andrew Smith made a superb century against Newcastle to keep them in the top three, while second-placed Hetton Lyons had a nail-biting win by a single wicket against Durham Academy and Blaydon clattered Whitburn after bowling them out for a paltry 68 runs.

Back at the top of Division One, with ambitions to be back in the big time next season, South Shields reached 224-8, chasing 226 for victory over Seaham Harbour, a superb 110 from 121 balls for Gordon Muchall almost tipping the scales.