Stockton continued their rise up the Dukes ECB North East Premier League, with a four-wicket win at home to fellow strugglers Eppleton.

They won the toss and fielded and apart from Gary Burlinson who made 41, the visitors could only muster 115 all out. Haidar Shafiq with 4-24 and Josh Sowerby, 3-29, did the damage with the ball.

The home side were in trouble at 42-5, as Craig Scurr took 3-23, but Joe Hewison came to the rescue with 60 not out from 80 balls which included eight fours.

Chester-le-Street had a hard-earned win at Newcastle by three wickets. The home side batted first and made a respectable 210-8, with opener Steven Allen scoring 80 and although the middle order collapsed, Jacques Du Toit smashed 69 from 74 balls and Callum Harding added 36, with Jack Campbell taking 4-41.

Cestrians’ openers Kyle Davis (76) and George Harrison (41) put on 120 for the first wicket. They then had a mini-collapse until Liam Simpson steadied the ship with 26 to complete the victory.

Sacriston were beaten again, as they chased Tynemouth’s 176-9. Barry Stewart top scored with 49, while Melvyn Betts and Reece Carr each took three wickets apiece.

However, they only made 108 all out in reply, as Wesley Bedja took 4-25 and Mark Watt 3-20, with only Jonny Bushnell troubling the scorers with 39 runs.

Hetton Lyons won the toss at Benwell Hill and decided to bat first. At 57-5 they were in big trouble, but skipper Jarvis Clay came to the rescue with 135 not out from 169 balls, which included 17 fours and Robert Talbot made 86 from 69 balls, with nine fours and two sixes, putting on 196 together for the sixth wicket. They totalled 279-6.

Hill opener Adam Heather made 33 and Jacques Snyman scored a brilliant 115 off 114 balls, which included 16 fours and two sixes, ensuring the draw, although they were hanging on at 259-9.

The Durham Cricket Academy lost at South North by three wickets. The Academy were asked to bat first and totalled 197, thanks mainly to Harry Adair who scored 82 and Adam Ahmed who made 43, Michael Craigs returned figures of 4-36.

Faizan Hussain starred with the ball taking 4-37 and Matthew Oswell took 3-32, but they could not stem the runs, as Simon Birtwisle (40), John Graham (44) and skipper Adam Cragg (55), ensured victory in a total of 201-7.

Northumberland and Tyneside Cricket League leaders Shotley Bridge have now lost two in two. They won the toss against Lanchester and decided to bat first. They were in trouble at 63-6 thanks to Greg Halliday’s bowling, as he took 5-26, alongside Kieron Taylor 3-34. Kieran Milburn scored 61 from 90 balls in a final total of 122 all out.

Lanchester opener Mark Small made 32 and Graham Brinton 39 not out, to guide their team home to victory.

Leadgate remain second in Division Two, after a massive 173 run win at home to Ponteland. They racked up 238-9 and then opening bowler James Radcliffe took a brilliant 6-22 from 12 overs.

In the Readers Durham Cricket League, Easington still lead the way at the top, following a 74-run win at home to Seaham Park. They batted first and made 218-9, thanks to Omar Shahid bashing 79, with Martin Stevenson and Anthony Watson taking three wickets apiece.

Seaham made 144 all out, with Duvindu Tillakaratne taking 4-26. Virat Singh top scored with 44 and Stephenson with the bat (38), kept them at bay for a while, but the victory was deserved.

Crook are second, after they beat Horden by 58 runs. They totalled 210-8 as Daniel Doram scored 48 and there was some late hitting as Andrew Burgess smashed 47 off 37 balls and batting at number 10, David Embleton biffed 45 not out off 30 balls.

Horden scored 152 all out, as William Angus struck early with 3-23 and then Steven Chapman with an excellent 5-33, to claim the win, despite 43 from Adam Dixon and 33 from Liam Irving.

Esh Winning stay third, as they won by just one run at fourth-placed Tudhoe. Roshan Jayatissa bowled an excellent spell of 5-30 to keep Esh at bay, but late order hitting from Jonathan Hodgson (45) and Paul Chivers (47), took them to 182-9.

Tudhoe relied on Daniel Thexton who made 98 from 106 balls, which included 10 fours and three sixes, but he was last out trapped in front by Paul Chivers (5-40), agonisingly two runs short of his century and two runs short of a win for his side.

In Division Two, Evenwood are second, 28 points behind leaders Ushaw Moor. They batted first at Murton and totalled 205-9, with openers Owen Peddelty scoring 49 and Dominic Wilkinson 59, while Aiden Vout took an excellent 5-62 and Sam Sanderson returned 3-32.

Murton capitulated to 55 all out, as Shahid Khan (6-24) and Mohammed Shoaib (4-21), bowled brilliantly to win by 150 runs.

Dawdon lost at Littletown by six wickets, who now move above them in the league, after they had scored 201-5. Openers Steven Gale scored 66 and Jamie Greenwood made 81, as they put on 101 for the first wicket, but Jack Weeks did well to peg them back, taking an excellent 5-53.

Littletown were in trouble at 13-3, but an excellent 111 from Dan Pearson, off 110 balls, which included 16 fours and three sixes and 63 from Jordan Woodley, as they put on 187 for the fourth wicket to ensure victory.

Peterlee lost at home to Ushaw Moor as the visitors made 164 all out. Late scoring from Stephen Hancock (41) and Peter Maddison (31), recued an awful start to their innings, with Kieran Buck taking an excellent 6-41.

However, Ushaw came back fighting and with Scott Nattrass and Dean Storey taking three wickets apiece, the writing was on the wall. They were all out for 127, thanks to some spirited batting from Paul Griffith who made 37 runs late on.