Darlington Building Society NYSD Premier League

IT’S derby day as four of the top six teams and rivals go head-to-head.

At Fountains Garth Guisborough, handily placed in second spot, take on Great Ayton, currently sixth. The Priorymen are exhibiting signs of emerging from their slumber of the last couple of seasons.

They went to the top of the table last Saturday night before being usurped 24 hours later by a Middlesbrough team who have played one more match than the rest.

The hosts are u n c h a n g e d , while the Aytonians switch Henry Shelton for Tom Crown. But while there are many talented amateurs on either side it is tempting to say that the battle is likely to be decided by the professionals.

Riaz Afridi hadn’t even arrived in the country 12 months ago, yet he went on to take 62 league wickets from just a handful of games.

Having been here from the start this time he has already stretched away as the league’s leading wicket-taker with 27 in only five matches, while fellow pro Chris Batchelor has 250 runs at an average of 50.

For Guisborough, Neil Russell’s 14 wickets have come at the same average as Afridi (12.9), and Tariq Aziz is starting to blossom, having scored 224 runs at an average of 56.

Marton have surprised a few people so far, and after an unbeaten start lie in third place.

They, too, face a real test when they travel just up the road to Cricket Lane to take on a revitalised Normanby Hall, who are just two places and five points below them in the table.

Alex Wardell is back for Marton, while Hall expect to be unchanged, meaning another outing for Paul Wiseman.

The Kiwi Test star has had a dramatic impact at Normanby, scoring 250 runs at an average of 82 and taking 13 wickets at 13 apiece.

It looks like the waiting game is over for Thornaby with confirmation received from Lahore that their professional, Khurram Shehzad, should be with them in time for today’s game at Acklam Park.

Shehzad was expected to collect his visa and fly in for the game, but apart from trying to acclimatise to the dip in temperature, he will also face a daunting debut against the champions, and new tabletoppers, Middlesbrough.

However, there is no doubt his arrival will lift spirits and there is further good news for the visitors in that wicketkeeper- batsman Michael Muldowney is fully recovered from a knee operation and is set to make his seasonal debut. Richie Rennard also returns.

The game is only Boro’s third at Acklam Park this season, and in the previous two they had quite a bit of leather chasing to do on a pitch that was described as a road, even in April.

They were comfortably held to a draw on both those occasions, and their own missing pro, Pakistani leggie Yasir Shah, will not be here in time to relieve the pressure on their attack.

Kyle Coetzer is also a doubt because of his Durham commitments, but Liam Botham seems recovered from his back problem and will play.

Hartlepool travel to Northallerton with multiple changes.

Chris Fawcett, Ian Palmer, John Cannon, Alan Tebbett and Mike Gough are all unavailable for one reason or another, with Hashim Ahmad, James Johnston, John Daniels and Jonathon Mitchell stepping into the breach.

Ian Place keeps wicket for the Town, with Andy Mc- Quaker returning.

An unchanged Bishop Auckland entertain a Richmondshire team who have Chris Layfield returning.

Darlington, with Garry Moody back at the helm, travel to bottom club Billingham who are waiting to see if Nisal Randika arrives in time as promised.

Blackhall expect Stuart Lobb to play in place of Jack Ward when they take on a Marske team who include Gary Lynch and Liam Haveron.