Dukes ECB North-East Regional Premier League

A YEAR-LONG unbeaten run by Blaydon came to an as champions South Northumberland, who rarely miss a trick, preserved their own amazing record of not having lost a league match in the last 24, a run stretching back to May last year.

Blaydon, who lost their record which included 17 draws in 24 unbeaten games, were never in the hunt against the runaway leaders.

As hard as top scorer Geoff Stewart (41) tried he couldn’t get the side beyond 141 in reply to South North’s dominant innings of 205 in which Adam Heather smashed a brilliant 83.

Former Durham County spinner Graeme Bridge (3-45) chipped away and only Chris Hewison, who made 38, and Tom Seymour (22) added effectively to the total, but Blaydon were beaten by 64 runs as Craig Smith (4-34) became the main wicket taker.

Second-placed Chester-le- Street continued to press the leaders with a big win over Durham Academy which took them seven points closer to South North, although still 16 adrift.

A run-a-ball partnership between Alan Mustard (84 not out) and Andrew Smith (81 not out) carried the Cestrians (188-1) to an outstanding nine-wicket victory after the Academy were bowled out by Richard Waite (5-57) and Quentin Hughes (4-23). Nevertheless Ben Raine with 51 and Ben Stokes with 40 continued their excellent form.

Bottom club Stockton didn’t quite take their cup form into the league but they grabbed valuable extra points in a drawn finish with Tynemouth which lifted them nine points closer to fellow strugglers Norton who lost against Gateshead Fell.

A superb unbeaten 121 by Sri Lankan Malintha Gajanayake, including a healthy partnership with opener Jon Rickard (47), took Stockton to 237-6, while the same pair had Tynemouth hanging on at the close on 169-8. Gajanayake (4-17) followed Rickard (4-53) into the attack.

Gateshead Fell’s second successive win ended their recurring fears that they could be sucked back towards the bottom of the table.

Having posted an impressive 276-6, with a brilliant 136 from Will Gidman, they bowled out Norton for 155. Geeth Alwis (5-42) did most damage for Gateshead with the ball, but Norton’s Dean Williams hit 66 to give hope of better times to come.

Sunderland needed to make their biggest team score of the season to bring an end to a losing spell with a win over Newcastle.

Michael Robson (98 not out) and Greg Applegarth (94) shared in a blistering third wicket stand to reach 273 and win by six wickets.

Despite four wickets for Jaspreet Singh and three for opening bowler Paul Hindmarch their Tyneside opponents must have thought they had enough runs with 272-9 to have won.

Their top man was Joseph Austin with 78.

The day’s other winners were South Shields who are comfortably back in third place after bowling out Benwell Hill for just 56, their lowest score in the NEPL.

Shields offered 200-8, with 69 from Danny Shurben, before Matthew Muchall (5-14) and Chris Dorothy (3-4) put the Hill’s batsmen on the rack.

The excellence of Muchall brought him a hat-trick.