TEAMS begin the biggest weekend of the season this afternoon as championship, promotion and relegation issues move closer to resolution.

The highlight of the weekend is the Teesside University NYSD Fifteens finals at Stokesley tomorrow, but there are a number of crucial league matches scheduled which pit the leading sides against each other.

The Fifteens competition has proved a big success in recent years and tomorrow will be no exception.

Tomorrow starts with the second division sides at 11am when Whitby face Great Ayton, and the division one final follows at 1.30pm when Darlington play Redcar. The Premier Division showdown is at 4.30pm when Bishop Auckland and Great Ayton lock horns.

Bishops expect to field a full team, Ayton’s only doubt revolves around the availability of Chris Witherley, but the good news for them is the return to action of leading allrounder David Grainge.

They also meet on Monday at Kingsway in a league encounter.

But both have important matches this afternoon with Bishops playing at Marton, who are just eight points off the top, and Ayton hosting Thornaby who are desperate for survival points.

Champions Marton have moved into gear over the last couple of months, and victory in their game in hand last Sunday brought them to within striking distance of their rivals Middlesbrough.

And the league game of the weekend, if not the season, takes place at Acklam Park on Monday when they meet head.

The defending champions expect to have Lee Hodgson free from Yorkshire duty to put them at full strength, while Boro, who face a tricky trip to Hartlepool this afternoon, have Nick Bates keeping wicket in place of the holidaying Tom Hodgson.

At the opposite end of the table Thornaby have 28 points to make up on Northallerton, and after their match at Leven Park today they entertain Normanby Hall on Monday.

Northallerton have two home games in which to keep their noses in front, with unchanged Stokesley first up, followed by Richmond.

Chris Layfield is sidelined by a hamstring injury and Lewis Stabler is still with the Yorkshire Academy so Mark Jobling and Sam Wood earn promotion as the Dalesmen try to halt a run of five successive defeats.

The race for the Division One title is an enthralling one with just six points separating three sides. Two of those meet on Monday when Barnard Castle entertain the only unbeaten side in any of the divisions, Redcar.

On paper the Seasiders appear to have the easier fixture list of the three contenders over the remaining five matches, but Barney, denied promotion in the last moments of the 2009 season, have hit form in recent weeks.