Esh Winning took a huge stride towards the Durham Cricket League championship when their emphatic home win over relegation-threatened Hylton was accompanied by a defeat for second-placed Dawdon.

The fact that unbeaten Mainsforth were only able to garner a handful of points from yet another draw meant that Esh moved into a 41-point lead at the top. With just six games remaining, the table-toppers have yet to lose.

Hylton were expected to provide a stronger challenge, but were overpowered as their hosts rattled up 261-8 in just 43 overs, skipper Dave Lawlor enjoying a second century of the summer. Lawlor’s 108 came from 78 balls, and with Jonathan Hodgson adding a blistering unbeaten 68 from 25 balls, the declaration came on the fall of the eighth wicket.

Hylton never got out of the blocks in their reply, their first six batsmen mustering just 48 between them, and despite some late order belligerence from Liam Foster (39 from 22 balls), Hodgson was able to add four wickets to his earlier runs as Hylton subsided to 122 all out.

Crook Town exacted a measure of revenge for the dramatic tie they suffered against Dawdon earlier in the season. The second meeting was to have no such ending with the home team bowled out for 165, and then Andrew Pratt (57) joining Steve Chapman in a decisive opening partnership. That effectively sealed the game. A flurry of late wickets left Town five down, butChapman (70 not out) stood firm.

Durham City (230-7 declared) and Mainsforth (179-5) slugged to a standstill in a game that didn’t do their title prospects any good. Nick Maiolo (70 and 3-32) continued to lift City spirits following his return to the club, and Jonny Barnes (3-19 from 12 overs and 33) was in fine fettle for the visitors, but draws are no use to the two sides.

It couldn’t have turned out much better for Swalwell in the NTSL. Despite fearing the worst as they travelled to table-toppers Ashington with a depleted line-up, they won, and with Shotley Bridge also going down at rejuvenated Leadgate it was back to the top for the former multiple champions.

Guy Saxton, 3-19 from 11 overs, and Nicky Phillips, 4-12 from 7.2 overs, caused a home collapse that saw the Colliers bowled out for 75 in 33.2 overs. Skipper Paul Dumighan (36) then joined with James Welch (23) in an opening stand of 49 that effectively sealed the result as Swalwell leapfrogged their beaten opponents.

While there were another four cheap wickets for Leadgate’s Mo Sharif, Ross Burdon followed up his three wickets with an unbeaten 93 to ease his side to a two-wicket win against the Bridge. Swalwell lead the table by 11 points from Shotley in second.