Sunderland maintain their Will to win at the summit
Sunderland remain top of the Dukes ECB North East Premier League Division One table after following a comfortable five-wicket win against Willington at Ashbrooke.
The visitors made 1408, as Joseph Stuart claimed 4-34.
A patient 39 not out from Chris Youlden got Sunderland comfortably home on 143-5, despite some good early bowling from Willington’s Richard Tunnicliffe and Chalana De Silva.
Philadelphia have moved into second place as they batted first at home to Crook.
Shaun Hauxwell made a crucial 54 runs in their innings of 155 all out, while the visitors never got going in their innings.
They were crushed making just 91 all out, with Luke Robinson the culprit claiming 4-21 with the ball.
Eppleton scored freely at Washington as Connor Whitelock made 41 and Julian O'Riordan scored an excellent 133 as they put on 120 runs for the third wicket.
Henry Warren then added 72 to get them up to a mammoth 301-8.
The home side also batted well at stages, but they came up short on 239-8, with Thomas Colledge scoring 48 and James Thompson 63 not out, as Kristian Jefferson claimed 3-50.
In a low scoring game, Sacriston went down by just 12 runs at home to Seaham Park.
Melvyn Betts was amongst the wickets as Seaham struggled early on and were reduced to 69-6, as he took (3-16).
Chris Rushworth, with an impressive 5-9, ensured they made just 96 all out.
In reply, the home side were all out for a miserly 84 runs, as Thomas Ferguson claimed 4-14.
Tynedale decided to bat first at Gateshead Fell, with Tim Raglan scoring 36, while Jamie Cairns claimed 4-20 and Sam Roseby 3-22, in a total of 155 all out.
Fell then cruised to victory, with Ramanpreet Singh scoring 67 not out, alongside
Paul Underwood, who made 44, to finish the match on 157-3.
In the Dukes ECB North East Premier League, after been asked to bat first, Castle Eden were in all sorts of trouble at home to Burnmoor.
Ryan Pringle took a great haul of 4-17, alongside Graeme Bridge 3-14, to bowl them all out for just 69 runs in total.
The visitors soon scored the required runs, finishing on 73-2 and claiming an easy eight-wicket victory.
Chester-le-Street asked the Hetton Lyons to bat first at Ropery Lane and had to thank Ben Mckinney for his 32 runs and Jarvis Clay, who made 42, alongside Stuart Walker, who contributed with 34 finishing on 176-8.
Quentin Hughes, Liam Simpson and Sebastian Hughes-Pinan shared six wickets between them.
The Cestrians then had Ross Whitfield Jnr smashing 101 from 78 balls, which included 12 fours and three sixes, alongside John Coxon, who made 57 not out, in a winning total of 180-2.
South Northumberland batted first at home to Whitburn and opener Rob Peyton did well, scoring 67, Adam Cragg scored 48 and Sean Tindale 40 and Sam Ewart 34 not out in a total of 216-6. Mason Bell claimed 3-26.
The visitors then had
opener Muhaymen Majeed score 32, but they had to contend with Ollie McGee as he claimed 4-27 and Lee Crozier 4-25 and finished on 157-8.
Newcastle were in trouble early on at Tynemouth. They slumped to 54-5, but a rear-guard action from Bobby Green with 43 and Asher Hart (53), as they put on 62 runs for the seventh wicket, totalling 178 all out.
The home side then made a decent start as Matthew Kimmitt made 44 and Matthew Brown 49, but they lost wickets soon after that and eventually the game went to the final over with four runs required and the last pair at
the crease and they scrambled home on 179-9, to claim a one wicket victory.
Felling were asked to bat first at home to Benwell Hill, with opener Travis Norris in good form, as he scored 58, while Oliver Metcalfe added 38 and Elliott Fox 41, as Max Williamson claimed 3-42, in a total of 230-9.
The Hill then collapsed to 72-8 then 133 all out, despite Evasio Macmillan smashing 58 not out off 33 balls, as Sebastian Allison claimed 3-54, to lose by 97 runs.
In the Readers Durham & North East Cricket League Division One, Seaham Harbour asked the home side to bat first, as Durham City slumped to 99 all out, with Harry Morgan claiming an impressive 5-34.
Seaham then easily knocked off the runs with Ian Pattison making 30 not out, in a winning total of 102-2.
Esh Winning asked early league leaders Ryhope to bat first and they made 170 all out, mainly thanks to Neil Young who fired 71 runs from 107 balls, while Paul Chivers claimed 4-16.
Jack Hall then made an excellent 85 not out in reply and Haider Zaman added 45 and they reached their target on 172-4.
Brandon got off to a good start at home to Littletown and eventually made a huge total of 264-6, then the visitors were 188 all out, despite James Sneller making 65 with Chris Stewart, Jordan Grosert and Chris Rainbow, taking three wickets each.
South Shields won their first league game of the season with a comfortable 156 run win at home to Hylton.
Daniel Adams got them going with 58 and Tharusha Fernando added 35, while Wilfred Tunley-Lo and Liam Mulley shared six wickets between them.
However, the visitors collapsed to just 42 all out, thanks to Ihsan Ul Haq and James Hutchinson taking an excellent five wickets apiece.