After three frustrating weeks of rain-lashed cricket there was at long last some meaningful action, and nowhere was that celebrated more than at Bill Quay where Dawdon turned on the style to take a clear lead at the top of the table.

Stephen Gale inspired his team to their convincing success, blasting 24 fours and two sixes on his way to a scintillating 143 from just 126 balls. The blitz enabled Dawdon to declare with 249-5 on the board, and then it was over to John Leslie (5-21) who, in unison with David Coates (2-18), ripped out the first seven home batters for 25 runs. Some brief resistance was ended by Mark Ewart (3-39) as the Quay were unlocked for 96.

With former joint leaders Durham City held to a draw by Crook Town in a game which yielded two centurions, City’s Kevin Sukumar (104 not from 79 balls) and Town skipper Andrew Pratt (100 not out from 117 balls), Easington took second spot in the table as they defeated Hylton by 28 runs.

belligerent 68 from Adrian Hedley, which included 50 in boundaries, lifted Easington to 185-9 in 43.1 overs, and then Indian overseas pro Vinit Dhulap (4-23) combined with skipper Dane Wilson (3-26) to bowl Hylton out for 157.

Esh Winning gained their anticipated victory over a severely-depleted Castle Eden, but the weakened visitors didn’t go down without a fight with their last wicket falling just a few balls from the end.

The home team declared on 250-6 after 38 overs, Esh skipper David Lawlor racing to 99 from 88 balls, 82 of those coming in boundaries including nine sixes, before he was trapped lbw one short of three figures. Castle looked like crumbling as they lost two quick wickets, but battling half centuries from stand-in skipper Alan Unsworth and youngster Thomas Gorham, along with 46 from Phil Winpenny, held out hope of a draw until Paul Chivers (6-20) spoiled the party.

Jonny Barnes has been tormenting NYSD batsmen for years, and in his new Mainsforth surroundings he’s doing just the same.

A 12 over stint, in which he took four for 14, made it 25 overs bowled to date and only 21 runs conceded, the latest spell earning a 14-run victory for his new teammates at Horden.

But it was with the bat he really shone, rescuing his side from ignominy by scoring an unbeaten 66 after Sahil Madgaonkar (7-19) threatened a rout.

Mainsforth could only post a modest 124, but then Barnes squeezed the life out of hapless opponents for the umpteenth time in his career.

Ryhope became clear leaders in Division Two as they swept past the challenge of hosts Langley Park in a seven-wicket romp.

Park were out for 178 in 40 overs, their total boosted by a belligerent 37-ball 59 not out from number seven bat Joe Long who included nine fours and two sixes in his late onslaught.

The wickets were shared around an eight-man Ryhope attack, but the run chase was dominated by just two players, John Minnis hitting nine fours and three sixes in his opening 52-ball 61, and Connor Pearson applying the finishing touches with a run-a-ball unbeaten 48 as the table-toppers won inside 29 overs.

Both Marsden and Seham Park, second and third respectively, had to settle for frustrating draws after coming close to forcing victories at Whiteleas and Littletown.