Kimblesowrth close in on title (From The Northern Echo)

Kimblesowrth close in on title

8:00am Monday 1st August 2011 in The Warmseal Durham Senior League

Kimblesworth edged further ahead in the title race as they mauled Whitburn by seven wickets to increase their lead to 30 points with seven matches remaining.

Stephen Meek (4-56 and 48no) was in outstanding all-round form for Kimblesworth, and the only consolation for the visitors was that things could have been a whole lot worse as they were 58-8 at one time.

Only Neil Johnson's battling late knock of 52 saved Whitburn's blushes and took them up to 110, but it couldn't save the match as the new boys knocked the runs off inside 26 overs.

Eppleton, who started the day 24 points behind the leaders in second place, ended it 30 behind, although still in second, after being held to a draw by a Durham City.

Sura Malinga hit his maiden ton for Eppleton, and with Shaun Bradbury continuing his fine form with 75, City were looking down the barrel after the visitors declared on 234-5.

But Durham are made of sterner stuff these days and never really looked likely to lose as they finished on 173-8 to pick up some crucial draw points.

However, these weren't enough to lift them off the bottom of the table as Castle Eden were the only other team to win on the day, as the other strugglers, Philadelphia and Felling, both earned decent returns from their stalemates.

Castle Eden defended a modest 176 against South Hetton as Richard Ede (4-26) and Keith Bailey (3-8) combined to bowl the visitors out for 99, while Phili looked in good nick from the start of their home game against Horden as openers Tom Raine (55) and Shaun Hauxwell (56) got them away to a flier and number three Shaun Smith (61no) cashed in.

A target of 257-6 proved well beyond Horden as Stephen Robinson (4-44) deflated their ambition, the visitors closing on 207-8.

It was a similar tale at Felling, where Burnmoor declared on 211-7 and the home team settled for the stalemate on 165-7.

Owen Lancaster (64) and Michael Robson (63) were pivotal in getting the Moor up to their total after the loss of two early wickets, but Chris Goudie showed his fighting qualities with a defiant half-century, and even though Mohammed Zahid (4-38) had Felling struggling, the visitors had to be content with yet another draw.

The game of the day was at Norton, where the home side amassed 251-5 and then bowled Boldon out for the same score.

Harry Linton (88) and John Watson (61) got the Teessiders off to a great start and with Ben Hall adding a half-century, it looked like Norton had put the game out of the visitors' reach.

But, needing a victory, Boldon set off at a cracking pace, a half-century from Geoff Houmark being followed by 64 from Karl Bellerby which led his team to the brink of a great victory.

The last over arrived with seven needed for victory with one wicket standing, Phil Shakespeare hit the first ball for six and tried to repeat the dose off the next ball and was trapped lbw for the most dramatic of endings.