Castle Eden’s Durham Cricket League title hopes hang by a tenuous thread after three successive defeats.

They are 63 points adrift of leaders Esh Winning, and if they fail to win today’s home game against the table-toppers they can pack their championship aspirations away for another season.

But Castle will not have all their ramparts manned for this last-chance saloon game, with top all-rounder Alan Unsworth, and leading batsman Phil Wimpenny, both missing.

On the positive side Rob McGlasham, Liam J Brown and Dean Langridge all return to first-team action for a match against a side who had the cricket gods smiling on them last week when they snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against Philadelphia.

That win restored some of Esh skipper Dave Lawlor’s belief in the points system.

Delighted by the victory which preserved his team’s unbeaten record, Lawlor praised Phili for their part in a great game.

He said: “In the past I’ve been critical of the points system in the league which, in my opinion, encourages teams to play defensively, but when the game’s played the way it’s meant to be played then the system helps to produce games like last Saturday.”

Esh put out the same side today.

Dawdon skipper Stephen Gale is back from his holidays and replaces his brother Anthony who stood in for him last week. The second-placed side, 18 points behind Esh, have a home game against relegation-threatened Bill Quay who welcome back Gibraltan international Scott Chipolina after a six-week absence.

Horden will be at full strength when they tackle unbeaten Mainsforth, with Connor Dickinson, Matthew Billyard and Shaun Bradbury all set to play. Mainsforth skipper Andy Allen hasn’t given up hope of his side catching the top two. “We remain unbeaten but have paid the price for too many drawn games that we should have won,” reflected the captain.

“Last week at Easington was a case in point where we batted first on a tricky deck, made a respectable total and then had them nine down when the overs ran out. We had opportunities to finish them off but dropped a couple of crucial catches which proved costly and so we now find ourselves 30-odd points adrift of Esh Winning at the top.”

His side show one change with Jack Thirlaway in for Ryan Dawson.

Division Two leaders Seaham Park are likely to increase their already handsome 31-point advantage over second-placed Burnopfield as their rivals take their turn to sit out the programme. Park go to Littletown without Michael McNicholas and John Sample, and with Jimmy Taylor a doubt following an ankle injury incurred during last week’s warm up.

The significant improvement in form shown by Leadgate in the NTSL coincided with their acquisition of Bangladeshi international Mo Sharif who, in just three games, has claimed 17 wickets for his new club.

Their resurgence has seen them leap from a relegation slot into mid-table security, but their new found confidence will be put to the test when they go to unchanged Swalwell. Luke McCabe replaces Jack Thackray on the Leadgate teamsheet.

Second-placed Ashington should prove too strong for hosts Bedlington who suffered a 274-run mauling at the hands of Leadgate last week. The Terriers conceded 365 runs on that occasion so it will be no comfort to them that Anirudh Singh was smashing 190 for the Colliers at the same time. Ashington bring in Matty Collins for Matt Storey.

Gary Johnson is sidelined by injury so his place in the Shotley Bridge team to play Consett goes to Ollie Gibson. In the only other change Rod Butler replaces Lewis Hall against a visiting side who are able to call on Mark Dixon, Paul Ringer and Ste Turnbull again.