Darlington Building Society NYSD Premier League

AMBITIOUS Marton are on course to carry off all four major honours in only their fourth season as a Premier League club after a golden fortnight in which they have put one cup in the trophy cabinet, qualified for the final of a second and returned to pole position in the race for the league championship.

The villagers, who meet Great Ayton on Sunday in the final of the Kerridge Cup, knocked Guisborough off top spot and grabbed a 14-point lead after seeing off Northallerton.

The Priory club helped to make Marton by becoming the last team to lose their unbeaten record.

They went down to Richmondshire when their normally solid batting line-up could not cope with the outstanding bowling of Shani Dissanayake whose eight wicket haul had them back in the pavilion for only 115, their lowest score of the season.

Matty Brown (33) led the Dalesmen to a surprise victory after overcoming a blip when, on 90 for 3, they lost two wickets to Dunn for just three runs.

At the same time, Marton were collecting maximum points at Northallerton with a dazzling return to the team by Chris Lane who was unbeaten on 73 out of 146-9 in the 50 overs. He faced 147 balls and hit ten fours and a six sharing in a half century partnership with Graham Shaw (33).

The in-form Teddy Parida went early as Mohammad Zahid returned season-best figures of 8 for 32 in 20 overs to have the hosts down and out for 120.

Middlesbrough pulled back to within a point of secondplaced Guisborough. They had an easy win over Darlington (117 all out) with James Beaumont (4-36 from 17 overs) and Yasir Shah (3-51 in 18.2 overs) finding only Simon Guy offering a challenge.

Paul Johnston’s remarkable form took him on to 879 league runs with 70 from 60 balls, including six fours and three sixes. Boro won at a canter by seven wickets.

Hartlepool lost further ground when they were held by Great Ayton.

Marc Symington took his 50th wicket of the season as David Grainge (50) and Matt Wilkinson (34) led Ayton to 179-7. Symington’s unbeaten 54 defied the hosts’ professional, Riaz Afridi (6-46 from 20 overs) as the villagers threatened to get on top. Pools overcame a shaky start on 22- 3 to reach 142-8 for a draw.

Bottom club Billingham Synthonia gave their survival hopes a boost by beating Normanby Hall – only their second win in 16 games – but they remain 20 points adrift despite dragging Saturday’s rivals with them towards the relegation trapdoor.

Nisal Randika, the Synners pro, took eight wickets for 40 runs in 22 overs, ten of them maidens. His early overs left Normanby on 27 for 5 and he took all five wickets for just six runs.

But former Billingham bowler Keith Martin (6-76 from 25 overs) showed he could still bamboozle his exteam- mates although Synners reached 192-9 from 50 overs.

Thornaby remain in the bottom three despite battling well to prevent defeat at Blackhall where Neil Killeen hit a half century and Neil Coverdale a classy 82.

Bishop Auckland had the day’s only century maker with Phil Holdsworth getting his second of the season against Marske. It included ten fours and a six and featured a stand of 133 with Dan Conway (47). Holdsworth faced 126 balls for his 108 but Bishops finished seven runs short after chasing 224.

Chris Allinson (80 from 89 balls) and Neil Pratt (63 from 111 balls) gave the Seasiders a sound base with a second wicket stand of 130. Between them they hit 15 boundaries, including seven sixes.