Middlesbrough are the new champions after living up to their pre-season rating as favourites and have left long-time leaders Northallerton and last season's winners Great Ayton to fight it out for second place.

Boro celebrated for the first time in 13 years, although it was their ninth title win overall and they did it in style with their seventh win in nine games and their 15th of a season in which they have been beaten just once. Having already won the competition's premier knockout trophy, the Kerridge Cup, they became the second club in three seasons to record the double.

But the team they emulated, Saltburn, their opponents as they clinched the final part of their triumph, are now to drop into the lower division after being relegated as the bottom club.

Six more wickets for Chetnya Nanda - taking his tally for the season beyond 70 - and half centuries for Alex Roberts and James Lowe in an unbroken stand of 116 in under 20 overs, sent Boro racing to a ten-wicket victory.

They had to wait a couple of hours before they could finally uncork the champagne as Great Ayton were unable to force the win which would have taken the championship fight to next weekend's final games.

They had to settle for a draw with Northallerton in a game which produced over 500 runs. Northallerton got 300 of them with centuries from Rashmi Parida and Ian Gill and they took the lion's share of the points as Ayton fell 78 runs short in reply.

Parida, the third player to reach 1,000 runs, was unbeaten on 125 for his second hundred of the season, while Gill was celebrating his first ton of the summer. Together they scored 154 in boundaries, having shared an opening stand of 187.

In Ayton's reply of 222-9, John Grainge made 75 after Chris Batchelor opened with 45 and Riaz Afridi hit three sixes in four scoring shots. They ran out of steam against Jon Barnes (6-59), who took Northallerton back into second place.

A near record opening stand of 209 between Gary Pratt (119) and Amul Mazumdar (86) lifted Bishop Auckland back into the top five.

Pratt hit 12 fours and four sixes from 127 balls to leave Richmondshire out of the game.

Worse was to follow when they lost their first four wickets for just 19 with Dan Conway taking three of them for four runs before a rescue act led by Shanuka Dissanayake (66). But they were a long way short of their target when young Robert Nevison (3-11) polished off the innings.

Marton had a star pairing in Martin Hood (101) and Graham Shaw (55), who were both unbeaten as they notched up a seven-wicket victory over Hartlepool, while Mohammed Mirza (41 and 5-20) was again the man-of-the-match for Blackhall, who beat Redcar to celebrate their first season back in the senior division by moving towards the top half of the table.

Darlington enjoyed their first win in seven games when they beat Normanby Hall thanks to Neil Pratt (73) and Dave Eckels (6-90 from 23 overs) but there was still little joy for Guisborough, whose worst season for several years could see them finish second bottom.

They lost to Marske, although five wickets for Paul Goodchild provided the good news that he could be over an injury which has troubled him for much of the summer.

The destiny of the First Division title was also decided and it means Billingham Synthonia return to the premier division next season.

They have benefited from a decision to deduct points from long-time leaders, Thornaby, who are now destined to take the runners-up spot and miss out on promotion.

Billingham had to beat third- placed Seaton Carew to clinch the championship. Bedale were relegated to Division Two after finishing bottom