The Readers Durham County League: Jim Allenby became the first player to score 500 runs this season - and also took five wickets in leading Brandon to their sixth successive victory on Saturday.

Mainsforth went into the game having made their best start to a season in more than three decades, but their hopes soon evaporated when they failed to dislodge Allenby.

The Australian ended only two runs short of what would have been a second consecutive ton when he was out leg before.

For the second week running, he formed a big partnership with Dean Storey (56) .

Sam Hogg bowled a good end for Mainsforth claiming three wickets at economical cost - but his side faced the formidable challenge of scoring 222 runs in only 45 overs.

Allenby made sure there would be no upset by capturing five for 37 runs and Brandon celebrated victory by a three figure margin.

On a day when five sides passed 200, Kimblesworth topped the scoring when they romped to 240 for seven and then sent Ushaw Moor back for a mere 52.

Skipper Stephen Meek (71), Lee Wright (63) and David Sanger (36) all made merry before Andrew McKay and Nigel Darling destroyed the home innings, sharing eight wickets.

Tudhoe were another side to pass 200 and in Simon Davies they had the day's top scorer. He took 150 off the Hylton attack with four sixes and 17 boundaries and although veteran Owen Williamson took four wickets, the Wearsiders faced a target of 221.

Sewranie Chattagoon, Michael Coulthard and David Thompson then did most of the damage, restricting the home side to just 153-9 from 45 overs.

Willington posted 208 for nine but still lost by six wickets to Evenwood, whose new professional Damodar Daesrath impressed with an unbeaten 111.

Bill Teasdale gave support with 49 in opening the innings.

Chris Slattery and Steve Donnelly both made half-centuries for Willington and in the home attack, none did better than John Maughan whose four wickets cost 52 runs.

Langley Park had only ten runs to spare at home to Etherley after realising only 129 from 35 overs.

Carl Renshaw (6-30) and Colin Barker (3-34) were effective in the Etherley attack but their efforts were overshadowed by Ryan Moralee whose magnificnet eight wickets for 45 runs shaded the result in Langley's favour.

The game between Crook Town and Esh Winning ended in a draw.

Stephen Ball made 88 and Paul Walker 41 as Crook ended on 172-5 and replying,

Esh finished with 141-5 on the board including a half-century by Rizwan Quereshi.

* Only 20 overs were possible on the third day of the rain-ruined Frizzell County Championship Division Two match at Taunton where Somerset closed on 195 for three in their first innings.

What play was possible saw the players dodging the showers and a torrential downpour saw umpires Mark Benson and Trevor Jesty abandon play at just before 3.30pm.

By then Somerset had progressed from an overnight 127 for two, losing Mike Burns for 87, while Sanath Jayasuriya reached his first championship half-century and was unbeaten on 72.