Castle Eden are riding high after bursting to the top of the Durham Cricket League Division One table following three successive maximum points victories, and they put their newly-acquired status on the line at Morrison Terrace this afternoon against unbeaten Mainsforth.

Club coach Liam Brown, just returned from honeymoon, is delighted by the team’s progress but wary of today’s opponents and said: “We aim to maintain the winning run after picking up 90 points in the last three games, but we know it’s going to be a tough task against a good, experienced Mainsforth side.”

Castle will be at full-strength for the trip with Phil Winpenny (work) and Richard McGlasham (holiday) back in the starting line-up. Their hosts will be missing Rob Chismon because of work commitments again, so John Sweeney is recalled.

Dawdon, just one point behind Castle in second, entertain Horden who at long last can include Shaun Bradbury in their planning following his recovery from a broken finger sustained in the first game of the season.

One player who won’t feature for the visitors is overseas professional Sahil Madgaonkar who has tried to play on in recent weeks with a shoulder injury only to make the problem worse.

He flew home yesterday to recuperate and won’t be seen again this season and the club, knowing this was imminent, have already moved to replace him by trying to complete the signing of Mumbai based all-rounder Akshay Jambhekar, although with some paperwork issues still to be resolved it is not expected he will debut until next week.

Division Two leaders Ryhope have their feet up this weekend as they take their turn to sit out the fixtures in a division with an odd number of teams.

This leaves the leadership door ajar for Burnopfield, who are third, and second-placed Seaham Park, as the winners of today’s meeting between the two will almost certainly be top of the table by tonight.

Pre-season title favourites Burnopfield, whose challenge is spearheaded by former Durham stars Gareth Breese and Callum Thorp, expect to be at full-strength, but Park have been hit by the news that Craig Brammer will miss the rest of the season after suffering a broken leg in an accident, and they also have a doubt over Michael McNicholas who is battling to overcome a broken finger.

It’s a key day in the NTSL championship stakes as second-placed Lanchester lock horns with leaders Swalwell. A Lanchester win will blow the title race wide open, but a Swalwell win will put them in a great position to push on for an eighth title in nine years.

The home team will be missing both Sam Sanderson and Jake Dunford, but Greg Patterson will be free from Durham Academy duties and comes straight back in alongside the promoted Sam Reynolds. Swalwell are at full-strength again with strike bowler Guy Saxton back from holiday.

Shotley Bridge will be one of those teams hoping for a Lanchester success as that would re-open the title door for them providing they can record their expected victory over rock-bottom Bedlington. The Terriers have lost seven games to date and already look doomed, and with Ryan Pringle set to feature for the Bridge the home team should prove too strong for their visitors despite Graham Angus being sidelined by injury.