Six outstanding centuries set up a day of batting eloquence, as several of the teams fancied to make championship challenges got into their stride.

Barnard Castle beat Richmondshire, and there were wins for Hartlepool and Great Ayton and a high points scoring draw for Marske to close up the top five to within ten points of each other.

Fourth-placed Barney needed to score just short of 300 to defeat their neighbours in the Dales derby, and they achieved it with a 203-run partnership between Karl Turner, who finished unbeaten on 138, and Lachlan Pfeffer, who made 101.

Turner faced 143 balls and hit 19 fours and two sixes in his first ton of the season, while Pfeffer spent 96 balls at the crease with 52 of his runs coming in boundaries, the second successive century for the Aussie schoolteacher taking a two-year break just to play cricket.

While Barney's batting was awesome, Richmond produced impressive figures too, with another superb knock from Gary Pratt - 130 from 150 balls with 80 in boundaries and still undefeated at the end of 50 overs.

He recorded partnerships worth 72 with Andy Fleming, 118 with Mike Layfield who made 68, and 63 with Matty Cowling.

But first defeat of the season, means their eight-point advantage at the top over Marske has been lost.

The Seasiders are joint leaders having got the better of a Stokesley side which at one stage needed only 68 to win with nine wickets in hand, but finished up fighting off defeat after a major batting collapse.

Visiting skipper Andrew Weighell made 110 from 115 balls – his second of the season - before having to watch five team-mates all at sea as their wickets fell for 18 runs. Brett Roberts (5-55 from 14 overs) turned possible defeat into an unlikely victory. Stokesley finished on 202-8, 20 short of the Marske total to which Lee Hodgson (68) and Saeed Bin Nasir (54) were the main contributors.

A point behind the joint leaders are Hartlepool, who featured in another high scoring match with two centuries among the highlights.

James Lowe, the Middlesbrough captain, was unbeaten on 136, sharing a stand worth 124 with Stephen Reeves (48) as they posted 249-3. But Pools hit back with Phil Mustard, unbeaten on 132, and Neil Coverdale, carrying his bat for 79, securing an impressive nine wicket win.

Mustard, a last minute signing when their original pro encountered visa difficulties, scored the fastest ton of the day – from just 60 balls and in only 72 minutes. His boundary count was 13 fours and three sixes –70 in a marvellous exhibition of big hitting. Coverdale, by contrast, hit just five fours with his half century taking him 102 balls.

Great Ayton were among two sides to carry off 25-point maximum wins day, and by overcoming newcomers Billingham Synthonia they moved 19 points closer to the leaders. An 82-ball half century from Phil Holdsworth laid the foundation for their impressive total of 173-9 before Steve Pennock (5-15 from 13 overs) routed the home side for just 115.

A ten-wicket win for Norton sent Seaton Carew to the foot of the league along with Normanby Hall, who have now lost all four of their opening matches.

Hall lost badly at Feethams where the talented trio of Grant Sowerby (3-15), Liam Coates (3-17) and Dale Marshall (3-34) shared the 29.4 overs needed to bowl them out for a paltry 76. Mohammed Saad (74) put Darlington on the right road and their 199-8 was far too daunting for the out-of-tune Normanby batsmen.

A Craig Symington double – four wickets and an undefeated half century – put Norton on the road to their success over Seaton Carew who were bowled out for 107. Matty Thomas took four of the other wickets in an eight-over spell before Adam Fenby (43 not out) provided additional polish to the success.