Guisborough are in real trouble in the fight to survive after a big defeat at Seaton Carew.

A scintillating performance, with both bat and ball from professional Usman Arshad, allowed Seaton to demolish the Priorymen by a huge margin of 148 runs.

With just three games to go, including todays derby with Marske, they are 15 points adrift of Hartlepool.

Seaton piled 260-2, with Arshad scoring 154 off 167 balls, including 20 fours and skipper Paul Braithwaite made 78 not out, in a grand stand worth 202 for the second wicket.

Although Guisborough’s opener Luke Middlemiss scored 40, wickets tumbled around him and they were all out for just 112. Arshad, again, was brilliant with the ball taking a terrific 5-27, probably keeping his side in the top flight.

Hartlepool picked up a crucial nine points at Richmondshire, even though they lost, to give them that 15-point cushion with three games to go. They batted well, making 233-8.

Pools opener Neil Coverdale was in the runs again, scoring 56 and then professional Harsha Vithana scored a brilliant century in the circumstances. He made 102 off 101 balls, including 11 fours and two sixes, in a stand of 102 with Coverdale for the third wicket.

Doug Mulholland was in the wickets with 4-67, and at 148-5, Pools would have fancied their chances, but good knocks from skipper Gary Pratt, 52, Alston Bobb, 36, and Steven Mather, 37 off 45 balls, was enough to see off the danger and win a valuable 20 points. They lead the title race by just four points.

Great Ayton moved up a place into second, with an important win over Barnard Castle.

Barney are 21 points behind the leaders. They managed just 100 with only James Quinn (40) and Jack Robinson (20no), making double figures. Pitigala Jeewantha took 3-32 and Thomas Leng returned 3-12, with Joe Marsay claiming the crucial wicket of Karl Turner for just one run.

In reply, Phil Holdsworth made 35 not out and Chris Allinson made an excellent 57 not out, to see their side home for this vital win and claim the 20 points.

Marton slipped up in the title race, when they went down at Marske by five wickets. Jonathan Spillane scored his sixth century of the season, with 160 off 125 balls, including 21 fours and five sixes, passing the 1,000 runs mark. They ended up on 219 all out.

Benjamin Van Rensburg took 4-35 and professional Saeed Bin Nasir cracked his fourth century of the season, making 144 not out off 136 balls and then Chris Veazey with 32 not out, shared a stand of 127 together, for the sixth wicket after slumping to 96-5.

Stokesley took advantage of Marton’s loss and moved up to fourth, 25 points behind the leaders, after an easy win at Darlington, who are still not safe from relegation. The home side are 29 points ahead of the drop zone with three games to go.

They made just 89 all out, with Richard Chandler in terrific form, returning 5-7.

Middlesbrough were comfortable winners over relegated Norton, by ten wickets. Norton batted first and made just 74, with Siraj Khan taking 3-22 and Steven Reeves 3-2 and then Boro skipper James Lowe (37no) and Paul Johnston (34no), blasted the runs required in just 6.4 overs.