Norton now have a very good chance of avoiding the wooden spoon after defeating Benwell Hill in their penultimate game of the season.

It was a near result though and the Teessiders had only a couple of wickets to spare overtaking the modest Hill total of 127.

Runs were at a premium throughout the day. The two Symingtons, Craig and Marc, contributed 50 runs between them and Nicky Hatch added a crucial 23. But in the end it was left to the experienced Neil Fox and Stephen Purcifer to see Norton home.

Shahid Nazir and Martin Pollard shared the eight wickets and when Benwell Hill batted first, it was the twin attack of Hatch and Marc Symington, who caused most problems. James Taylor made the game's top score of 48 and Nazir added a valuable 32, but generally the batsmen were contained by the attack. Norton are now third-from-bottom having won five times.

Three wins on the trot have lifted Philadelphia to almost mid-table. For most of the season they have been looking over their shoulders at the bottom, but it is Gateshead Fell who are now at the basement after losing by 81 runs to the rejuvenated Bunker Hill outfit.

Youngster Berwick Hall showed his potential, making 35, but it was experienced pair Freddie Napier with 86, and Jim Allenby (55) who propelled the total to 214-7 from 62 overs.

When Ian Potter claimed the prize wickets of Marcus North and Stewart Hutton, Phili were on their way. Potter ended with seven wickets for 50 runs from 20 overs and Gateshead Fell were back in the pavilion for only 133.

Chester-le-Street's form has been inconsistent to say the least and few anticipated that they would be bowled out for only 72 on the Ropery Lane wicket.

But Franklin Rose, Andrew Ferguson and Stewart Pattison came up trumps after Sunderland had managed only 127 in their innings. The total would have been a great deal less but for the combined efforts of Paul Goodwin (30) and Ferguson (26 no), who batted number nine and 11 respectively.

Stockton held champions South Northumberland to a draw and could finish the season in third position. Once again, the runs flowed for South North and a century by Chris Hewison and half centuries by Adam Heather and Martin Speight took the total to 300-4 declared. The formidable target always looked beyond Stockton but they ended with a respectable 216-8, which included 81 by Richard Waite.

Durham Academy are runners-up, but they took just nine points from their drawn game at Newcastle.

Durham's Danny Law was in good form adding 75 and Jim Mathewson contributed 45 to the Tynesiders' total of 230.

The Academy lost early wickets, four of them to Law, but the recovery was led by Stuart Walker (37 not out) and particularly by David Craig, who carried his bat for 74 out of a total of 150-6.

Tynemouth drew at Blaydon and with one game remaining are 15 points ahead of Gateshead Fell at the bottom of the table.

Ian Somerville, Mark Drake and Ray Marshall all made at least 30 as Blaydon realised 215 before the Seasiders replied with 156-7 which included 40 by David Hayward.