The fight to stay in the Premier League is warming up. It’s safe to say that Norton will be relegated as they lost again, this time at home to Richmondshire, but who will join them?

The Dalesmen totalled 232-1 at Station Road, with Mike Layfield scoring an excellent 118 off 119 balls, including 13 fours and two sixes. With Gary Pratt (87no) they put on 197 together for the first wicket. They then declared and bowled Norton out for 114, to claim the 25 points maximum and close the gap on Great Ayton at the top to seven points.

Alston Bobb returned excellent figures of 4-9 for the visitors.

Guisborough managed to claw back a few points on Hartlepool, despite losing at home to champions Barnard Castle.

They took six points, as the visitors decided to bat first making 184 all out.

Karl Turner hit his first league century of the season, scoring 100 from 96 balls, including eight fours and four sixes. Skipper James Finch chipped in with 34 not out and Shanuka Dissanayake returned 6-38 with the ball.

The Priorymen then reached 128 all out, as Jack Robinson took an excellent 7-45, with Graham Murray resisting with 60. Next week Guisborough travel to Hartlepool, who are just above them in the league with a 24-point cushion in a crucial match for both sides.

Hartlepool collected four points at Marton, as they hung on for the draw.

The home side batted first and made a mammoth 248-4, thanks to Jonathan Spillane scoring 70, Matthew Perilli 60 not out and Danny Kitching blasted 76 off just 51 balls, including five fours and five sixes.

Pools started well, putting on 61 for the first wicket with Neil Coverdale making 45 but with Muhammed Zahid taking 3-32 and Luke Gettings an excellent 5-41, they were reduced to 157-9, having to bat out the last four overs for the draw.

Seaton Carew took just two points from their game at Stokesley, where they batted first and made a reasonable 173-8.

Usman Arshad made 98 from 152 balls, including eleven fours and a six, with Aubrey Swanepoel claiming 6-32, with the ball.

Skipper Andrew Weighell smashed 110 not out off 91 balls, which included six fours and ten sixes and he put on 138 with his brother James Weighell (47no), in a winning total of 174-1.

Darlington were the big movers at the bottom, as they had a draw at home to Middlesbrough and collected 12 points. Boro batted first and made 177 all out, with skipper James Lowe making 63 and opener Sam Gaudie 39, with Connor Whitelock the pick of the bowling, returning 3-41. When the home side batted they fell just three runs short of victory, scoring 175-6 and 49 of those runs came from Muhammed Saad and 44 from Alex Metcalfe.

Great Ayton were held at home to Marske, as the Seasiders had two centurions in their total of 258-2.

Skipper Lee Hodgson with 106 and Saeed Bin Nasir with 121 not out, kept Ayton at bay, putting on 191 together for the second wicket. The home side made a solid start, with Chris Batchelor making 40 and Walid Ghauri 66 not out, but they lost wickets regularly and Lewis Harper with 3-56 and Johnathon Pickard 3-43, ensured the draw, with Ayton finishing on 200-8, leaving the title race wide open, with any one of five teams still in the mix.