Another double weekend of NYSD Premier Division fixtures provides the perfect opportunity for the chasing pack to make up ground on runaway leaders Marske.

The Seasiders hold a 39-point advantage over second-placed Richmondshire, and are a further nine points in front of Barnard Castle, but their nearest challengers have two home games each in which to try and redress the balance, as Marske have just one match to play.

They are at Seaton Carew today, where their hosts have been busy trying to bolster their playing resources in an attempt to lift themselves out of the relegation zone. With Danny Thomas expected to return, Seaton will feature a new face having registered 18-year-old Essex Academy player Kashif Ali as their second professional following his transfer from Dunstable Town in Bedfordshire. They are also in the process of registering Tom Ewing, an overseas amateur from Australia.

Ali is set to debut with Ewing arriving next week, but following the loss of former Durham Academy youngster Reece Carr, who returned to his home club Sacriston last week after just a few matches for Seaton and promptly took eight wickets in a match, the new arrivals will be welcomed.

Marske are finding their own resources under pressure following the non-arrival of New Zealander Ullrich Boshoff, and with one of last week’s match winners, Charlie Helm, unavailable because of work, and Brett Roberts still injured the return from injury of Josh Carroll provides a timely boost to their attack.

Despite the miserable weather of the opening weeks of the season there have been 21 centuries scored in the Premier Division so far, with seven belonging to Marske’s deadly batting duo of skipper Lee Hodgson and Saeed Bin Nasir. Hodgson fell eight runs short of scoring what would have been his fourth ton on Monday, while Bin Nasir was racking up his third consecutive hundred.

He will be gunning for a remarkable fourth in a row at Hornby Park.

Richmondshire’s home double begins against Hartlepool, while the visitors to Hurgill Road tomorrow are Darlington.

The Dalesmen are unchanged for the first game, but will be missing skipper Gary Pratt and leading wicket taker Toby Bulcock for the second as they will be playing Minor Counties cricket for Cumberland – Craig Swainston and Steve Mather will play in their place.

Hartlepool will also be missing a big name with Phil Mustard set to miss both their matches now the T20 Blast has started, although John Rickard is set to make only his second appearance of the summer today.

It’s hard to work Darlington out. It seems to be win one, lose one at the moment, but with four victories against three losses they are still handily placed in joint fourth in the table, and with a trip to Norton followed by a game against the weakened Dalesmen tomorrow they have the chance to make a real statement of intent. Lee Craggs misses both games, his place taken by Sam Hardy in the first match and Alex Simpson tomorrow.

Barnard Castle were the team suffering at the hands of the erratic Quakers on Monday, so they will be desperate to claim a home double to get themselves back on track. They keep faith with the same eleven who went down heavily at Feethams when they meet Normanby Hall and then in-form Middlesbrough.

Hall reckon without Chris Veazey, and hand a keeping opportunity to youngster Joe Knott, while Boro expect both Mike Cook and Adil Ditta to return as they seek to extend a three-game winning sequence starting with their Acklam Park opener against a Great Ayton side who are also on a hot streak at the moment.

David Grainge is back for Ayton although Chris Allinson misses the Boro match before returning for the derby game at Fountains Garth tomorrow against his former team. Guisborough are juggling their resources with Richard Dunn and Ryan Murray each featuring in just one of their matches, and last week’s century maker, Martin Hood, also playing just the one game – against Ayton.