Kimblesworth are the only team with a 100 per cent record in the Readers Durham County League after Tudhoe lost for the first time in five games.
They had the toughest hurdle to jump with table topping Esh Winning showing the sort of form which wins championships. Tudhoe were restricted to 99 with Eddie Watson (5-22) and Mark Davison (3-15) excelling for the visitors.
Then Farooq Iqbal rattled up an unbeaten 40 to put Esh on maximum points with six wickets to spare.
Kimblesworth, with a game in hand over the leaders and just seven points behind, looked well in control against Mainsforth.
Skipper Stephen Meek (3-37) and Aron Andritch (3-34) kept the home side in check before a half century from Lee Wright and contributions from Meek (38) and Dixon (35 not out) gave Kimblesworth the impetus for a five wicket victory.
But 69 and four wickets for Brian Yearwood for Mainsforth showed that they may not stay at the bottom of the league for too much longer.
Shildon's challenge gathered pace as they defeated Brandon in an exciting finish. The Railwaymen posted 151 with Phil Timmens (47) making the key contribution.
Chris Sawyer (4-29) kept Brandon on the back foot and despite an unbeaten 42 from Tinkler they were 14 runs short at the end.
Willington had a tremendous win at Crook Town when Andrew Bowman made an undefeated century and Ken Brown (53) made a target of 192 look easy.
Crook must have been confident of a better result when Hussain led a mid-order response with 57 after his side had lost early wickets.
Etherley had another poor day at the office when they were bowled out for just 34 by Ushaw Moor having no answer to the bowling of Scott Nattrass (5-12) and Omesh Wijisiriwardene (4-13). Six batsmen failed to score and only one reached double figures in the rout.
Ushaw won at a canter by nine wickets.
Langley Park joined Mainsforth as the only other team without a win but they came close to it against Hylton.
They needed just five more runs for the elusive victory but their tail-end batsmen couldn't manage it.
Hylton made 132 with Mustard proving their hot-shot with 56. But there was no-one to match him in the Park reply and they were all out, agonisingly close to winning, on 128.
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