STOCKTON battled hard to try and topple Chester-le-Street, but in the end they became just another notch on the leaders belt as the Cestrian machine powered to their fifth victory of the season to maintain a healthy 29 point lead at the top of the table.

The Teessiders played a positive game, choosing to bat when they won the toss, and then declaring with five overs of their innings left to give themselves some additional time to try and bowl Chester out, but ironically it was one of those five overs that were being used by the table-toppers when they passed the target, although the form the Street batters are in at the moment it would almost certainly have been the case that they would have won whatever the amount of time available to them.

A second wicket partnership of 118 between Rammi Singh (59 from 79 balls) and skipper Kevin Ward (57 from 65 balls) set the Teessiders up for a decent score, and with Richard Waite adding 53, and further runs down the order, the visitors pulled the plug on their innings having posted 263-8.

Simon Birtwisle had been the most successful home bowler with 3-31, and then he was straight out to bat to embellish his wonderful start to the season with another score of 150 – he made 164 the previous Monday in a Banks Salver tie. Birtwisle was in imperious form, striking 14 fours and four sixes in his unbeaten innings, and with Quentin Hughes adding 62 in a third wicket stand of 136 the game was more or less up for Stockton despite four wickets from Waite. Chester won with six wickets and four overs to spare.

Hetton Lyons were another side trying to stem the march of the big guns but they, too, fell just short as South North defeated them by 30 runs to keep the heat on the Cestrians at the top of the table.

Jimmy Miller (84 from 91 balls) set the tone at the top of the Bulls order as they scored 239-6 before declaring after 60 overs, Lal Kumar taking four of the wickets to fall, but only Allan Worthy was able to hold the visitors attack at bay when Hetton chased, the opener the glue in the home innings before being ninth out with 113 to his name, an innings that included 11 fours and five sixes. Lyons eventually succumbed for 209 with just 15 balls of the game remaining.

Whitburn were the other big points gatherers of the day, and they did so in record style as Dan Shurben smashed 180 not out with 25 fours and five sixes in his 175-ball knock which was the highest individual Premier score for his club.

The 58-over total of 319-1 was also Whitburn’s best ever at this level, but it almost wasn’t enough as Gateshead Fell gave the run chase a real go before being bowled out for 283, defeat leaving them 13 points adrift at the foot of the table.

In the First Division Burnmoor were the big movers, their eight wicket defeat of Willington seeing them move up to second spot, and with leaders Brandon only managing to draw the points difference is now just 15.

Willington skipper James Stock made 62, but no one else was able to support him to any degree as the visitors were pinned down to 195-8 from their full 55 overs, a target that the Moor powered past with more than four overs to spare as Sri Lankan Irosh Samarasooriya hit his maiden century for the club.