Hill left stunned by Stockton

Stockton struggled throughout last season when they won just once, but they were quickly into their stride on the opening day of the season and caused a major shock, inflicting a two-wickets defeat on champions Benwell Hill.

It looked as if the Teessiders were faced with a backs-to-the-wall situation at the halfway stage after the home side posted a target of 211. The position quickly became a lot more demanding as seven players managed just 61 runs between them. But out of the blue Michael Wood and seasoned campaigner Alan Walker came to the rescue.

The pair took their side to within sight of success before Wood was trapped leg before for 45, but Walker went on to carve out a match-winning unbeaten innings of 64 despite the efforts of the League's leading bowler last year, Shahid Nazir, and Martin Pollard who both claimed three wickets.

Philip Mustard made a good start for the Hill and it was his innings of 70 and 42 from Nazir which raised the hopes of the champions. Walker, with 4-38 and Richard Waite, whose three wickets cost just 71, were the principal wicket-takers in the Stockton attack.

Norton were another of the struggling teams in 2002 and they too will be encouraged by their performance at Ashbrooke where there were just 30 runs and three wickets separating the sides at stumps.

Alan Mustard was just 13 runs short of a century while Lee Rushworth contributed 83 and James Lowe 44 to the impressive Sunderland total of 243-5 as the five-man Norton attack found it difficult to contain the flow of runs.

Undeterred by the size of their task, Norton's reply was positive with the Symington brothers prominent.

Marc added a useful 30 after captain Kenny Gresham had departed for 28, but it was Craig who took the eye and his unbeaten 74 steered the visitors to 213-7 at close of play.

Last year's wooden-spoonists Tynemouth went down heavily to Durham Academy.

Gary Scott failed by just a single to accumulate a half century which together with useful innings of 32 from David Barrick and 35 not out from Paul Craig, took the Academy past the 200 mark despite Barry Stewart claiming five cheap wickets in the home attack.

Although Tony Lion opened with 46, he received only limited support from his colleagues and the Tynemouth innings closed on 136 as Lee Plunkett and Moneeb Iqbal shared seven of the wickets.

Chester-le-Street made a flying start against Gateshead Fell at Ropery Lane.

The removal of prolific scorers Stewart Hutton and Marcus North were major blows to the Fell and although Ben Young and Chris Taylor temporarily held ground, the innings ended well short of the target as Paul Chivers and Ashley Thorpe both took three wickets.

Allan Worthy and Thorpe both added half centuries and Daniel Shurben and Quentin Hughes were also in the runs when the Cestrians posted the useful total of 237-4 before declaring.

They gained 29 points, the highest by any side on the opening day.

Ian Potter, Philadelphia's most economical bowler last summer, started with a six-wickets haul at a cost of just 30 runs in his team's exciting ten-run victory over Blaydon at Bunker Hill.

The home team's total of 122 looked extremely vulnerable until first-change bowler Potter went to work and although Paul Underwood raised the visitors' hopes, his departure for 39 proved vital for Phili.

Neil McGarrell was another bowler among the wickets and the Blaydon newcomer collected five for a meagre 20 runs sending the home team back cheaply.

The score would have been a lot less but for a half century from Freddie Napier and at the interval Blaydon looked the likely victors until Potter became Phili's saviour.