Saturday’s programme was spoilt by the incessant rain over North-East on Saturday, with games abandoned across the divisions.

Premier League leaders Great Ayton were at Middlesbrough and still managed to increase their lead at the top, by two points, as they gleaned eight points from their game.

The champions chose to bat first making an excellent 260-4, with opener Chris Batchelor scoring 36 and then Phillip Holdsworth made 83 from 124 balls, which included 14 fours and two sixes.

Mitchell Davis scored 84 from 84 balls, including 11 fours and a six, putting on 106 together for the third wicket. Professional Pitigala Jeewantha then came in and had some fun, cracking 43 not out, from just 24 balls, which included two fours and three sixes.

Ayton are seven points clear at the top, as the games between Richmondshire and Marske, alongside Barnard Castle and Thornaby were both abandoned, without a ball being bowled due to the downpours.

Stokesley in sixth, eventually started against Seaton Carew at home and had the visitors in deep trouble at 47-5, with professional Shrikant Wagh taking 3-14 with the new ball, before the rain returned and the match was abandoned.

At the bottom, Darlington came out best as they journeyed to Hartlepool. They lost the toss, took first knock and made a healthy 187-8 from their 50 overs.

Opener Nathan Wright made 45 and put on 81 runs with Liam Coates for the second wicket, with Coates making 46 from 53 balls, which included three fours and two sixes. Aaron Feroz bowled the middle order out with 3-29, and the Doug Mulholland returned 3-43, spell of 13 overs.

Coates then opened the bowling and reduced the home side to 33-3, as he took 3-23 off 7.4 overs, before the rain came.

However, the 12 points gleaned from the game pushed Darlington out of the bottom two, dropping Marton into second bottom place.

Marton welcomed Bishop Auckland in an important game at the bottom and won the toss, asking Bishops to bat first.

Bishops lost early wickets and were reduced to 44-4, until Ryan Nicholson (32) and Craig George who smashed 51 off just 55 balls, which included four fours and four sixes, put on 75 runs together for the fifth wicket.

Muhammed Zahid then took 3-21 from 7.1 overs to bowl them out for 149 from 44.2 overs. However, they didn’t get back out after tea because of the weather, with Marton edging the drawn game 11 points to nine.

In Division One, Billingham Synthonia still lead the race to the top divison, after reducing Great Ayton to 115-4 in their abandoned game. Whitby, in second, were 159 all out and Darlington RA were 19-2 in reply before the heavens opened.

Normanby Hall, in fourth, were just 25 runs short of victory over Norton, as they bowled them out for 128, but Hall were tantalisingly close, with 104-7 in reply, when the rain came along.