Richmondshire overcame their biggest test of the season so far to cling on to the league leadership, but they’re now only a point ahead of challengers Hartlepool, who have two of their former players pulling the strings.

The Dalesmen grabbed a win against Guisborough after a dramatic fightback led by Craig Swainston (40 not out) and Craig Marshall (28) who came together after five wickets had fallen for just a single run and defeat was looming.

They recovered from 62 for 7 to reach 142 and enjoy a nail-biting victory by two wickets after Stu Mackay (4-29) and Chris Nicholls (3-37) ripped through the Richmond middle-order.

It wasn’t the first time the pair had performed well with the bat this season, having saved their side with 78 runs between them on the season’s opening day against Darlington.

Guisborough, expected by many to be challenging for the championship, were let down by their batting with only Karl Turner (54) showing form. They totalled a modest 140 with the last six wickets going down for 36. Marshall (6-36 from 14.5 overs) became man of the match.

Former Richmond pro, Shani Dissanayake (91 and 2-18) was among Hartlepool’s match winners at Norton where another ex-Dalesman, Lewis Stabler, took two of the other wickets after the fiery Callum Prosser (5-49) wrecked the hosts’ top-order with three of the first four wickets to fall for just ten runs. Pool totalled 212-6 with Dissanayake’s masterful innings coming from 100 balls with seven fours and two sixes.

The Symington brothers, Craig and Marc, will want to forget this game against the club for which they formerly played – they managed just four runs between them – but Harry Linton (40) and Nick Thomas (26) overcame their side’s early three wicket loss by digging in. Norton could only muster 124.

The record books were studied at Seaton Carew to see if a second wicket stand of 183 between Sanjaya Rodrigo (114) and Paul Braithwaite (100 not out) was the club’s best.

They hit 243-2 against Marton with Rodrigo facing 130 balls and hitting nine fours and Braithwaite, also with nine boundaries, needing just 102 balls. Marton’s Jonny Spillane (69) led the response but it proved too much and they finished 47 runs behind with three wickets intact.

Great Ayton, who have lost two full recent matches to rain, batted soundly as they beat Normanby Hall by four wickets. Aussie Barry Bester (52) and Lewis Harper (45) shared a 104-run stand after Chris Batchelor had gone for 37. Normanby’s Sach Serasinghe hit 48 with four boundaries before Mike Croft (4-36) twisted the knife. It was Ayton’s first win in a frustrating season.

Darlington also scored their first victory, beating Marske.

Matty Brown (43) shared a 90-run partnership with Liam Coates (89) as the Quakers posted 218-6. Marske were skittled out for 152 after reaching 93 before the first wicket fell and then losing six wickets for eight runs. Lee Hodgson (54) and Gary Lynch (43) were openers with a mission for the Seasiders, but it all went wrong thanks to Brown (5-43), Coates (3-49) and Doug Mulholland (2-52).

Barnard Castle enjoyed their second win which lifted them into fourth, two points behind Darlington. Aamer Sajjad made his first century of the season as they hammered 285-4 from Middlesbrough’s lacklustre attack.

The Barney pro hit nine fours and five sixes as he finished unbeaten on 122 from 102 balls, while newcomer Josh Mason (75 from 88 balls) shared in successive stands of 91 and 68. His second partnership was with Sajjad who then enjoyed an unbroken stand worth 111 with James Quinn (42 not out). Middlesbrough were out for 155 as James Finch (4-16) and Rob Dixon (2-27) turned the screw.

Redcar gave an improved display against Stokesley, whose last pair hung on for eight balls to scrape a draw. The Seasiders produced a 91-run opening stand from Tom Urwin (53) and Callum Brown (42) to post 185-6 with Stokesley’s newly-arrived professional, Shrikant Wagh, taking two of the wickets. He also top scored with 38 but his new side never recovered from losing their first three wickets cheaply and finished precariously on 147 for 9.