Chester-le-Street consolidated their position at the top, with an emphatic performance against newly-promoted South Shields.

The Cestrians trounced the Shieldsmen by 149 runs to move nine points clear of Benwell Hill who moved into second spot as they overran hosts Whitburn by 131 runs.

With South North, Blaydon and the Durham Academy also earning high points returns from their wins Stockton slipped into mid-table when their game at Hetton Lyons became a casualty of rain.

Chester were streets ahead at Dean Road as youngster George Harrison continued his impressive start to the summer with a century, his 108 coming from 135 balls and including 12 fours and two sixes.

He shared in a third wicket partnership of 139 with Quentin Hughes (58) which set the base for the bat to be thrown later in the innings and enable a declaration on 281-8 after 55 overs.

Tim David returned his best bowling figures for Shields, but his six wickets were costly, and when he and Gordon Muchall fell cheaply in Shields’ reply the writing was on the wall for the hosts, Michael Dunn’s 60 the only bright spot as they crumbled from 107-3 to 132 all out.

Graeme Cessford and Andrew Bell did the spadework with the ball, and then Simon Birtwisle nipped in to claim four wickets for one run to bring the curtain down rapidly.

Benwell Hill’s victory at Whitburn was just as convincing. It was set up by a Zohaib Khan century and rounded of by a brilliant bowling display from Mattie Muchall, who blew away the home team’s resistance with a six-wicket burst that saw them lose their last seven wickets for 33 runs.

There were also six wickets for Graeme Bridge as he spun hosts Tynemouth out for 167 to set up a comfortable six-wicket success for Blaydon, and Dylan Budge had a brilliant day for the Academy, only spoilt when he fell lbw for 99 against Newcastle. He recovered to bag three cheap wickets as the Tynesiders were beaten by 45 runs.

First Division leaders Brandon were pushed hard by Seaham Harbour before they claimed victory by three wickets. Harbour posted 187-9 in their 55 overs, and then reduced the table-toppers to 150-7, but Sairaj Raghavan held his nerve with an unbeaten 45 to add to the three wickets he had taken earlier in the afternoon, and Brandon eased home.

Boldon moved into second spot as they edged out hosts Sunderland by nine runs after being bowled out for a modest 176 in 52.4 overs. But it represented something of a recovery after their first three batsmen mustered just 15 runs between them, and it proved just enough as Ian Male (4-30) spun out the Wearsiders’ top scorers before Joe Coyne (2-18) once again applied the coup de grace.

The only other winners in a rain affected programme were Felling, a crucial victory squeezed in just before the heavens opened.

Felling raced to 228-6 before declaring in the 43rd over, Stuart Walker cracking 12 fours and two sixes in his 68-ball 80, and Phil Taylor even more punishing as he rattled up an unbeaten 75 from just 50 balls.

South Hetton collapsed, routed for 45 as Liam Simpson (6-19) and Paul Leonard (4-14) blew them away in 15.2 overs, just before the rain started. Hetton are now anchored to the foot of the table.