BALL ON FIRE AS EDEN CLOSE IN ON TITLE JOY
FIVE-WICKET RYAN INSPIRES CASTLE’S SUCCESS AS DAWDON WIN AGAIN IN SAFETY FIGHT
Castle Eden took a huge step towards the Division One title, when they won by 29 runs at Esh Winning.
The leaders batted first and scored 167 all out, with Liam Irwin scoring 57. Paul Chivers returned 3-32 and Eddie Watson 3-27.
Esh Winning fell for 138 in their reply, as Ryan Ball bagged an excellent haul of 5-21.
Interestingly, Castle Eden have to play the two teams directly below them in the table, Durham City this weekend and Tudhoe on September 9, in a tough finale.
However, they do now have a 36-point lead, after Tudhoe badly lost at home to Bill Quay and Durham City could only draw at home to Philadelphia.
Quay’s win means they are now 32 points ahead of bottom club Littletown, who are clear favourites for the drop, with two games to play.
Quay – now just three points behind Dawdon in the fight to avoid the second relegation place – bowled the home side out for just 64, thanks to Karl Bellerby’s magnificent 5-21, with Michael Orridge chipping in with 3-20.
They lost four wickets chasing down the runs but claimed victory on 66-4.
Durham City drew at home to Philadelphia after the visitors posted 207-7, thanks mainly to Shaun Smith, who cracked a century (106), while Shaun Hauxwell made 31, with Rob McDonald claiming 3-38.
City had to cling on for the draw on 197-9, with Jonny Harding’s 43 backed by Jacob McCann (31) and Callum Steel (33), with Stevie Wright claiming 3-33.
Dawdon had another win, a good job too, as they hover just three points above the drop zone.
They entertained Easington, who batted first and posted 217-7, thanks mainly to Javed Joshi making 83 and Robbie Atherton 52, with David Coates taking 3-38 and Mark Ewart 2-55. Ryan Higgins added 29
Dawdon’s batting was solid and they made the runs required, for the loss of just three wickets, with 47 scored by Steven Gale, 56 from Price, Clayton Malgas adding an unbeaten 49 and Ryan Consitt 26 not out.
Jonathan Ward bagged 2-36.
Littletown dramatically tied their home match with Whiteleas and Harton, a result which does little for their chances of escaping the drop.
The South Tyneside visitors posted 220-8 in their 50 overs, with Abdul Ameer stealing the show thanks to nine fours and three sixes in a 123-ball 90.
He put on 99 for the fifth wicket with Hafiz Aleem (43, with six fours and a six), while Scorer made 21 and Chris Nichol and Beadle 13 apiece.
Siddhesh Kinalekar was the pick of the bowlers with 3-34, while Jordan Woodley grabbed 2-19 and Berwick Hall 1-48.
Littletown’s response started strongly, with Woodley (42, with seven boundaries, off 71 balls) and Matt Dench (53, with seven fours and a six, off 72 balls) putting on 92 for the opening wicket.
Dan Pearson weighed in with four fours and two sixes in a 20-ball 32, with Kinelakar adding 29 off 21 balls.
But from 154-3 and 177-5, they slumped to 220 all out off the penultimate ball of the 45th over, just a run short of a priceless victory.
Ameer capped his manof-the-match display with 5-26, while Aleem and Scorer struck twice.
Horden are still in danger, after a ‘losing draw’ at Seaham Park.
Park made 198-7, with Neil Young hitting 48 and Chris Allan 47. Junior Evan Roberts grabbed 3-46 and Lal Kumar 3-52.
Horden responded with 129-7, Liam Irving making 45 and fellow opener Jamie Greenwood 47, putting on 88 for the first wicket.
Dale Shaw and John Sample both struck twice.
Marsden followed Crook Town in clinching promotion from Division Two.
They beat struggling South Tyneside neighbours Boldon CA by 130 runs.
They set a target of 204-2, thanks to a fine century from opener Chris Mann (102no), backed by Nisal Francisco, who made 35, and Matt Evans (51 not out).
In reply, the visitors made just 74, with Mark Cox hitting 20 and Andrew O’Connell 18 not out, but skipper Mann stole the show with an excellent 7-13.
Langley Park could only manage 65 all out at Ryhope, with Jonna Lane making 34 of them.
Jonny Errington (3-34) and Johnny Hayes (3-21) took the bowling honours for the hosts.
Dan Blackman then whacked 40 not out to guide Ryhope home in comfort, by nine wickets, with Sagar Udeshi contributing 24 not out.
Peterlee also had an easy win, by 85 runs at home to Murton.
They made 139, thanks to David Craig scoring 51 and Shrey Bhatt 31, alongside Ben Green’s 27.
Sam Sanderson returned 4-28 and Josh Greenfield 3-41 for the Murton attack.
Murton, though, struggled with the bat and could only muster 54 runs, thanks to Andrew Laidler taking 3-24, Bhatt 3-11 and Green 3-6.
Evenwood clung on for a draw on 156-7 in reply to UshawMoor’s185-9declared.
Mike Thorpe hit seven fours in a 126-ball 60 for Moor, backed by Aaron Proud (48), while Mahmood grabbed 5-23. Mahmood topscored with an impressive 73 in Evenwood’s reply. Readers Durham Cricket League