Readers Durham County League: Evenwood and Kimblesworth have pulled away from their nearest rivals in the race for the championship.

They were the only sides to win both games in the double programme when Tudhoe, who started the weekend just three points off the top, gained just ten points out of a possible 40.

Evenwood yesterday maintained a pole position defeating Mainsforth by 48 runs. Billy Teasdale (78) lead them to 168-7 and when he took three for 34, the home side managed only 128.

Kimblesworth left it late before succeeding at Langley Park where the game was into the last over. Faced with a target of 156 they visitors were given a good start by Michael Fishwick with 34 and Stephen Meek (38), but Gavin Swan was the match winner with a quickly struck 40.

For the second day running the weather caused problems at most grounds. After losing so badly on Saturday Tudhoe's game with Brandon was soon abandoned and the same fate was suffered in the fixture between Ushaw Moor and Crook Town.

There was more play at Sedgefield when John Carmedy followed up his impressive performance on Saturday scoring 97 of Esh Winning's 153-3 declared but with the home side on 64-2 the rain returned.

Shildon produced their best performance in the field so far dismissing Etherley for 93 only to end with just 58-6 on top following the intervention of the weather.

Crook Town produced the shock result of the season on Saturday when they sent Tudhoe crashing to 42 all out. Lee Holloway, with six wickets for only 26 runs and Stephen Ball, who returned figures of 4-16 proved just about unplayable.

Scoring was never easy on the rain-affected wicket and Crook also struggled to make 125. Most of the runs came from Richard Manuel (50) and Andrew March (33). Chris Glasper had another good day with the ball for Tudhoe, taking five wickets.

Kimblesworth wasted no time seeing off the challenge from Mainsforth. A lot of work on Saturday morning meant that the match could go ahead and after 37.5 overs the visitors were back in the pavilion with just 82 runs on the board.

Gavin Swan and Nigel Darling did the damage before Stephen Meek hit two sixes and nine boundaries in an unbeaten 54 partnering captain Michael Fishwick in a first wicket unbroken stand of 85 compiled from 66 deliveries.

An undefeated 96 by Billy Teasdale, who struck four sixes and six fours was the feature of Evenwood's total of 175-7 against Sedgefield who were all out for 96 in 33.5 overs.

Although Johnson opened with 42, Deighton Butler dominated returning the remarkable figures of five wickets for five runs in 9.5 overs. Jonathan Gill gave support with 4-19.

Shildon scored nearly 250 runs but still lost to Esh Winning. Newcomer Hiran Marambe hammered seven sixes and five fours in 104, Drew Kirtley added 76 with five sixes and eight boundaries and Cameron Pearce contributed 53 to the total of 248-6 - Shildon's biggest for some time.

Esh took up the challenge and won with five wickets and ten balls to spare.

Openers David Lawlor (67) and John Carmedy (69) set the scene and the momentum was maintained by Eddie Watson with an unbeaten 61 which included six sixes.

Bobby Orton conceded just 29 runs in 12 overs taking five wickets as Brandon defeated Willington by 61 runs. Skipper Steve Dunsford, with six fours in 43 top-scored in the Brandon innings which reached 146-9. Paul Chivers and Jaco Mong shared seven wickets in the Willington attack.