Norton visit Benwell Hill this morning with renewed confidence after celebrating their first win of the season last week.

"The side gave a very good performance and showed plenty of commitment even when we struggled early on for runs. They stuck in and in the end we won comfortably with an over to spare," said chairman Keith Symington.

It was his son, former Durham County player Marc, and captain Kenny Gresham who won the day both finishing unbeaten with half centuries.

"Kenny ended the game with a big six into a garden just a couple of houses from where he lives," quipped Symington, who reports that an unchanged team will be on duty at Benwell Hill as Norton attempt to move off the bottom.

Benwell Hill have been unable to reproduce the form which won them the title in 2002.

Today, they are without Simon Birtwhistle, Marcus Turner and Ollie Bellwood, so Steve Dunsford, Simon Curtis and Ben Ramsey are promoted from the Second XI.

Stockton, who share second position with Durham Academy, face a stern test at South Northumberland, who moved into pole position last Saturday.

The Teessiders cannot call upon Mattie Creese or the injured Lee Daggett, but the former Riverside player Chris Mann has signed up and makes his second appearance together with Rob Atkins.

South Northumberland are in scintillating form and are unbeaten in all games. "I am pretty happy with the way things are going,'' admitted skipper John Graham.

"We have strength in depth in both the batting and bowling departments and we are fielding exceptionally well, having taken some good catches."

New professional Reon King has been a big success, and Graham added: "He has taken quite a few wickets and overall has been a real hit at the club.

"He was a relatively late appointment after we lost Dewald Pretorius to Durham County, but he is certainly proving his worth.''

It is a long time since Sunderland lost three games on the trot but after going down to South North in the ECB National Knockout Cup they conceded the leadership last Saturday, losing to Newcastle and on Monday went out of the Just Sport Trophy to Blaydon.

Former captain Adam Applegarth, the ex-Middlesex and Durham County opener Michael Roseberry and Andy Ferguson all resume but Stuart Pattison is sidelined for their match with Chester-le-Street.

Durham Academy will play their game with Newcastle at the Riverside. The Tynesiders, buoyed at defeating Sunderland in the Tyne/Wear Derby last weekend, keep faith with the same XI and captain Wayne Ritzema is confident of another good result.

"Beating Sunderland has done our confidence the world of good. We won the toss, batted first and bowled them out, which wasn't bad considering they were top before the game," claimed Ritzema.

At the bottom, Tynemouth host Blaydon and hand a debut to 17-year-old Ben Debnam, who takes over from Karl Spratt. Blaydon, too, have just one change with the injured David Sherrington missing, but Durham's Graeme Onions is free to play. Philadelphia meet Gateshead Fell in another bottom-half-of-the-table fixture.