Go North East NTSL

Just three games survived the maelstrom that effectively wiped out three quarters of all matches in the region.

For leaders Lanchester the opportunity was there to steal a march on their rivals at the top, but they crashed to a 22-run defeat at Percy Main while managing to cling on to their six-point lead at the head of the table.

For the Main men it was a second win in a row after they began their first season back in the top flight with two defeats, and Barry Stewart was again their inspiration as he claimed 4-24 to take the wind out of Lanchester’s sails when they were chasing a modest 118.

Aussie Mitch Reid top-scored for the home team with 39 as they struggled against a Lanchester attack in which Greg Halliday returned the outstanding figures of seven wickets for 19 runs, but when Stewart took out the top four in what had seemed a relatively comfortable run chase the rot set in, and Andy Green, Dave Anderson and Mark Armstrong shared six wickets as the leaders were bowled out for 96.

Ponteland and Annfield Plain continue to struggle, both suffering defeats which leave them entrenched in the bottom three.

Plain were particularly unlucky to go down by just a single wicket at Alnmouth. Graham Carr’s 49-ball 30 was the highest score of the bowler dominated match, but with Russell Hughes (5-32) and debutant Henry Cope (3-6) in great form Plain could only muster 103 in 32.1 overs.

Hughes (21) and Ian Pearson (23) looked to have put Alnmouth in control in an assured second wicket partnership until Andy Halliday’s 6.5 over spell in which he took 3-8. When Neil Killeen (3-12 from eight overs) then picked off some more the game was back in the balance until Cope (nine not out) rounded off the perfect debut by scoring the winning runs via the boundary.

Ponteland’s fourth straight defeat came at Tynedale in a game marked by all-round team contributions, Wayne Ritzema and David Wright top scoring for the visitors with 30 each in a 45-over total of 180-9, and then Johnny Meadows (38) the leading scorer in Tynedale’s successful run chase which brought a five wicket win in the 38th over.