Felling claim a victory at last
FELLING are looking to push on up the table after winning their first game of the season.
The bottom club sealed a tremendous 88-run success over secondplaced Newcastle - at the same time denting the city side’s challenge for the title.
The victory gives Felling massive confidence in their fight against relegation.
Spokesman Barry Norman said: “It is a monkey off our backs and we are delighted with the first win.
“The aim now is to win three or four more times in the next 11 games to try and avoid relegation.
“The next few games are vital but the confidence is high now and we feel we can get some more victories under our belt.”
It has taken Felling half the season to record the win - but more importantly they are only 25 points from safety with 11 games left.
They won the toss and decided to bat against a very strong Newcastle team.
Opener Gary Scott was in good touch with the bat and made 51 off 81 balls to set the platform for a healthy score of 204-8.
Joshua Mason also fired a halfcentury, making 58 off 93 balls including seven fours and a six.
When Newcastle batted, Mark Turner and Scott tore them open with superb bowling, reducing the visitors to 29-3 and then 77-7.
They never recovered from that and were all out for 116, only opener Alasdair Appleby showing any resistance with 37.
Turner took a brilliant 5-39 and Scott 4-32, the other wicket going to Craig Stephenson, to give them 20 valuable points for the first time this season.
That result allowed South North to increase their lead at the top to 38 points after their win at Tynemouth.
The visitors batted first and made 213-7 declared thanks to Calum MacLeod making 78, Adam Cragg 31 and Rob Peyton 41, while Andrew Smith returned 3-52 with the ball.
Tynemouth could only manage 118 in reply, Matthew Brown topscoring with 29.
Stephen Humble returned the best figures when he took 4-31.
South Shields lost by 18 runs to champions Chester-le-Street.
The Cestrian batted first and amassed 211, Quentin Hughes topscoring with 76 not out off 100 balls and Andrew Smith adding 30 - Chris Stewart with an excellent 5-72 off 13 overs.
In reply, Shields made 193 all out, their innings completely dominated by Salman Ahmed’s 109 not out from 159 balls - including 12 fours and six sixes.
However, nobody could stay with him long enough to clinch the victory, despite last man Matthew Muchall scoring 16 off 27 balls, and Stephen Cantwell’s 4-48 was the pick of the bowling.
Benwell Hill had to settle for a draw against the Durham Academy while struggling Whitburn defeated Eppleton by 73 runs.