AS THE dust settled on a dramatic Bank Holiday double programme it was Philadelphia who emerged as the surprise new leaders after taking a bumper 59 points from their two matches.

Following on from their win the previous week this made it three in a row for a side who just a fortnight ago were wondering where their first victory was going to come from.

The club have been very impressed by the performances of their new pro, David Rutherford, who is now on the top of his game, and the Northumberland opening bowler put the icing on the cake last Saturday with a hattrick against Horden.

Phili now face a testing run of fixtures as they come up against Whitburn, Eppleton, Hetton Lyons and Boldon in the next four weeks - after that lot they really will be able to tell whether their current view from the summit will be one they can expect to enjoy on a long term basis. For the game at home to Whitburn today they will be missing the services of key batsman Neil Mulvaney, but the visitors have opening bowler Neil Johnson returning, and Gary Ventress replaces the unavailable Michael Smith.

There is another appetising game to savour at Burnmoor where Boldon are the visitors.

Barry Dews is a key absentee for the champions through holidays and Gary Lancaster is promoted from the seconds to replace him.

Boldon are boosted by the return to action of Phil Shakespeare.

Despite having to hand over top spot last weekend Hetton Lyons are not dispirited after coming out of a tough programme with their long-term prospects still looking extremely positive. With only a six-point gap to make up they will no doubt be looking for a healthy return from their match at Marsden given the home team's inconsistency to date.

And the Lyons are back to full strength with prolific opening bat Paul Riddle returning. The home team will be without Greg Arundel, who is working, and Nick Quinn who is on holiday.

Kuldeep Singh and Patrick Jackson are drafted in.

Durham City have only one way to go after plummeting to the foot of the table following Seaham Harbour's shock win last weekend. Their home match with South Hetton will be a test of both side's metal as the visitors are only a couple of places above the relegation trapdoor themselves.

Eppleton take a full strength line-up to Felling. The sides are locked together with identical points totals in the wrong half of the table, so the home team will be delighted that skipper Chris Pleasants returns to bring his bowling talents to their cause.

Horden have been a strange mix of good and bad so far this season, and Seaham Harbour will be hoping they encounter the latter when they travel to Welfare Park with their own new found confidence today.