JUST a fortnight after suffering the humiliation of a pointless drubbing Castle Eden bounced back to the top of the Durham Cricket League Division One table with a convincing 92-run victory at Durham City who themselves had led the rankings just eight days earlier.

There were a number of kings of the Castle in a solid all-round batting performance that saw them post a total of 191, South African Aat Lindeque top scoring with 43, and it was the same story with the ball as a five-pronged visiting attack all contributed as the depleted Durham side capitulated for 99 in 32.1 overs. Spinner Dan Baldwin took the late honours as his 3.1 overs saw him claim three wickets without conceding a run.

Castle deposed Dawdon at the top, the former leaders being held to a home draw by Philadelphia who pocketed the major share of the spoils in their seventh stalemate of the summer, but it could have been so different but for the intervention of Shaun Hauxwell.

He cracked 10 fours and 4 sixes in an innings of 76 as Phili set a 49-over marker of 234-5, but Dawdon looked well on the way to another success as Stephen Gale (71 from 92 balls) and Ryan Consitt (80 from 85 balls) shared a second wicket stand of 140 for Dawdon. Hauxwell then stepped forward as third change bowler, and in just nine overs took 6-35 to leave the hosts gasping for breath on 196-9.

In the clash of the draw specialists, Esh Winning successfully chased down a Horden target of 146, skipper Dave Lawlor (60) no doubt delighted to see his team rise to joint second, just two points behind the new leaders. Esh remain unbeaten, and so do Mainsforth, but only just as they nearly failed to defend a 45-over declared total of 269-6 at Bill Quay where Berwick Hall’s 77-ball century almost did the trick for the home team who finished on 263-7 from 49 overs.

In Division Two Seaham Park hammered bottom club Houghton by nine wickets courtesy of Indian ‘pro’ Siddharth Chitnis (4-50 and 31 not out), the victory taking them 61 points clear of the new team in second place, Burnopfield, who scraped past struggling Littletown by just 15 runs.

Draws in three of the other six matches didn’t do any favours to those with promotion ambitions, but Peterlee claimed their third win of the summer to move up to seventh in the table, their highest ranking for several years. Aussie Aaron Shellie was their hero in the four wicket victory over Evenwood, following up two wickets with a thumping century made from just 63 balls.

It’s as you were in the NTSL following victories for the three leading sides. Lee Innes and Stephen Smith proved a potent combination for table-toppers Swalwell in their 28-run win at Ponteland, each scoring a half century as the visitors posted 226-8, and then each taking three wickets as the home team were bowled out for 198.

Shotley Bridge were made to work for their 12-run success at Lanchester, Paul Greenwell (84) and Stuart Graham (78) providing the backbone of the 247-7 total, and then Phil Carlin and Gary Johnson sharing six wickets as Lanchester faltered in sight of the winning post. Kiwi Teja Nidamanuru was particularly unlucky to finish as a loser after taking five wickets and then a scoring half century.

Ashington maintained their third place ranking with a seven wicket win at Leadgate, Anirudh Singh back to his best with 5 fours and 4 sixes in a rapid 74 that gave the Colliers victory with 20 overs to spare.