DESPITE having to settle for a draw Esh Winning moved closer to the Durham Cricket League title and they now look certain to be popping the champagne corks before August is out.

But relegation-threatened Bill Quay gave them a real run for their money, and weren’t that far from causing a major upset, needing just 23 more runs for victory with three wickets standing when stumps were drawn.

It wasn’t so much a case of a game of two halves, but a game of two professionals, Esh’s Bangladeshi international, Suhrawadi Shuvo, the driving force behind his team’s 45-over declared total of 214-9 with 9 fours and 3 sixes in an unbeaten 90 scored from 85 deliveries, and Quay’s Indian star, Usman Malvi, on 63 not out from 64 balls as the home team ended on 192-7 from 41 overs. Each also took four wickets in dominant individual displays.

If Esh had any concerns about only picking up 15 points, these were soon banished as news filtered through of defeat for main rivals Mainsforth, their first of the summer, and a draw for Dawdon, the net outcome being that the runaway leaders increased their advantage at the head of the table to 68 points.

Philadelphia were the team virtually ending Mainsforth’s dream, the Bunker Hill boys successfully chasing down a target of 205-5, victory achieved with just one ball of the match remaining. Phili needed seven going into the last over, but a six from Ian Hauxwell (36no) relieved the pressure. Earlier Aussie Ashley Chilcott’s 84-ball 68 had laid the foundations for success.

With the title race all but over the main interest now centres on the battle to avoid relegation where the expected maximum points victory for Hylton over Boldon CA brought them to within striking distance of the three teams directly above them.

Just 17 points now separate Hylton, Bill Quay, Easington and Horden, who thought their worries were over but fell back into troubled waters following a 99-run hammering at Durham City. A half century from Jake McCann helped lift the home team to a 50-over total of 205-7, and then a 12 over spell of 4-17 from England women’s international Danni Hazell put the skids under Horden who lost their last wicket on 106 with just three balls of the match remaining.

Easington’s descent into the danger zone has been gradual. Seven games without a win, the last five of which have been draws, have caused the slide, and they were hanging on at Dawdon on Saturday, their last pair surviving several balls to close out on 102-9 in response to their hosts 174.

There was no change at the top of the NTSL as the three title contenders all won, although none more handsomely than Shotley Bridge who pummeled hosts Alnmouth to the tune of 202 runs.

Two centurions put the home team to the sword, skipper Peter Collingwood cracking 17 fours and 1 six in his 143 scored from 146 balls, and Paul Greenwell slamming 9 fours and 6 sixes on his way to an unbeaten 121 from just 100 balls. The Collingwood-Greenwell combo shared a second wicket partnership worth 260 runs as the Bridge racked up 287-2, Alnmouth then subsiding to 85 all out.

Swalwell retained the leadership with a ten wicket drubbing of Annfield Plain, while Ashington managed to scramble a three wicket win over Ponteland to remain 13 points behind with four games to play.