A BATTLING display from Sacriston put a large dent in Percy Main’s title ambitions as the top three all won to forge on at the top of the table.

Main had made the title stakes a four-horse race with some good displays in recent weeks, but they found their match at Sacriston as the home team pinned them down to 186-6 and then eased past that target with five wickets to spare.

Mike Phillips (69) and Anirudh Singh (60) had to repair a bit of damage when Main lost four early wickets, but the six man home attack kept the run scoring in check sufficiently for Aussie Kendal Ballard (60no) to provide the winning flourish.

Shotley Bridge bossed their game at Ashington from the off as they claimed two wickets in the first over of the day.

A stoic rearguard action from Greg Williams (33) and Simon Prudhoe (28) brought respectability in a third wicket stand of 61, but Stuart Graham (5-34) returned to wrap the Colliers up for 102.

Phil Brown (33) and Peter Collingwood (31) then raced out of the blocks with an opening stand of 52 in just 10 overs, before Martin Hubber completed the eight wicket success with an unbeaten 30.

The wins for Bridge and Sacriston left them trailing leaders Swalwell by just two points as the champions eased to a four wicket victory at Morpeth after being set a challenging 222 to win.

Jonny Foster (65) and Ben Maxted (44) raised Morpeth hopes as they put on 221-7, but then Lloyd Anderson (58) and Ian Pattison (99) took the game away from the home team in a match winning second wicket partnership.

Annfield Plain made hard work of their two wicket win at Chopwell where the home team posted 171-9 thanks mainly to John Meadows who stroked 13 boundaries in his 65. As ever Neil Killeen had proved troublesome, his 15 overs including seven maidens and giving him miserly figures of 4-29.

Dave Anderson and Dan Stewart then shared six wickets for Chopwell, but Plain stuck to their task with contributions throughout the order, Dave Newstead’s unbeaten 34 and Sam Stephenson’s 35 at numbers seven and eight respectively proving crucial.

In the day’s other games Burnopfield had Mike Jones (5-43 and 52) to thank for their impressive five wicket home win over Lanchester, and Tynedale added to Newcastle City’s woes as Ross Laidlaw (5-21) set up a five wicket victory.