Gateshead Fell are now within touching distance of the three teams immediately above them in the Premier Division table after a resounding win over fellow strugglers Whitburn.

With Tynemouth losing at Jesmond, and Blaydon only managing a draw at Denton Bank, just 22 points cover the bottom quartet with all now in danger of being sucked through the relegation trapdoor.

A third win in seven matches, after a winless opening sequence of ten, has given the Gateshead club a real chance of survival, and they showed their fighting spirit against Whitburn after first recovering from an early double setback, and then overcoming a mid-order slump.

Tom Pinkney (45) and Chris Russo (37) pulled the Fell round from 12-2 in a stand of 76, and then when their departure saw a slide to 112-6 a 49-ball 57 from number eight David Daley lifted the home team to a respectable 205 all out.

Whitburn then appeared to be coasting on 91-1 after a 37-ball half century from skipper Andy Turns, but when he fell to Jonny Roseby it heralded a dramatic collapse, five wickets going down for three runs, and the shell-shocked tail failing to wag as the visitors slumped to 120 all out, losing nine wickets for 29 runs. Roseby, 4-15, began the spectacular crash, and Barry McCarthy (5-65) completed the rout.

Tynemouth are now just 13 points in front of the Fell after a four wicket defeat at Newcastle, Ben McGee (61) and Micky Allan (64no) masterminding a successful run chase to knock off a target of 213, while Blaydon managed 15 points from their draw against Benwell Hill, Joe Reynolds their rock with an undefeated 98 from 179 balls which took their first innings total of 252-9 out of Hill’s reach.

At the other end of the spectrum both leaders South North, and second-placed Chester-le-Street, secured maximum points again, the Bulls having 81 runs to spare over Hetton Lyons and the Cestrians squeezing past hosts Stockton by 24 runs.

In the First Division it was a day for record breaking as first Willington set a new marker for the top score in the league with 324-4 at home to Willington, and then Tudhoe blasted 333-2 at South Hetton.

The Willington effort was especially spectacular as it came from just 50 overs against fellow title rivals Burnmoor, and included a sensational 204 by Anand Singh, who became the first double centurion in the division’s short history.

He hit 25 fours and six sixes in overtaking the previous best of 184 by Stuart Walker, and with Will Phillips adding 76 the Moor were put under the cosh, and it took a last wicket stand of defiance for them to avoid defeat on 217-9.

The draw points gained could yet prove crucial to the Moor despite their drubbing as, with Eppleton losing to Sacriston, and Washington another involved in a stalemate, the top of the table became even more congested with just 12 points now covering the top four.

The blaze of runs by Tudhoe included 113 from skipper Ross Hodgson and 84 from Alex McGrath but, like Willington, they were unable to remove their opponents last pair and had to settle for a draw. Despite the rearguard action South Hetton saw their position at the foot of the table worsen with the triumphant Sacriston now 33 points ahead of them.