DURHAM’S teenage county starlet Scott Borthwick spiked Chester-le-Street’s hopes of staying on top of the table with an unbeaten century for Tynemouth, who have been struggling this season.

The Cestrians took over as table toppers a week ago but returned to second place after being surprisingly held to a draw because of 19-year-old Borthwick’s superb undefeated 118, which included 17 boundaries.

Tynemouth, in reply to the imposing score of 255 for 6, got within 51 runs and finished with three wickets in hand.

Remarkably only two of Borthwick’s team-mates got into double figures with Dan Young’s 20 runs the next best.

Chester’s Andrew Tye (3-40) and Quentin Hughes (2-10) kept their opponents subdued.

Batting-wise Simon Birtwistle (60), Alan Mustard (58) and Hughes (51no) looked to have done enough to give the Cestrians their eighth win in 12, but Borthwick, who had earlier taken three wickets in a 20 over spell, foiled them.

South North (254-2) had little difficulty in beating fourth bottom Norton (101 all out) with Chris Hewison making a stylish unbeaten 117 from just 122 balls and including 19 fours and two sixes, and John Graham (65) and Adam Craggs (56no) playing important parts. Stephen Humble (4-16 in 10 overs) removed Norton’s best batsmen.

Sunderland stopped the rot after losing their previous two games when they produced a spectacular batting display against Durham Academy (245-5).

Stuart Walker made an unbeaten 101 from 50 overs with 12 fours and, helped by Ashley Thorpe who ended a barren run with the bat to finish undefeated on 77, they enjoyed a seven-wicket victory, with only eight balls to spare. Walker and Thorpe shared a match-winning fourth wicket partnership of 150, hitting 21 boundaries between them. In the Academy’s excellent batting display, Michael Turns was unbeaten on 70, Ben Raine made 57 and Mark Wood added 46.

South Shields took a pounding from in-form Gateshead Fell, who have won four of their last six games and drawn the other two. They have moved into sixth largely due to the form of Will Gidman who made 72 not out when they won by seven wickets.

There’s no sign of any improvement for bottom club Stockton who lost for the ninth time in 12 outings when going down at Blaydon by 62 runs. They are now adrift by 26 points and still searching for their first win.

Craig Knox hit a century and Allan Worthy opened with 72 for Blaydon (236-8), but the Teessiders could only muster 174 in reply with Knox (3-21) and Graeme Bridge (3-41) too good for them.

Benwell Hill made the day’s highest score – 308-9 – with a century from Zohaib Khan and 71 from Richard Coughtrie before six wickets for Dave Rutherford saw off rivals Newcastle.