Evenwood moved to the top of the table with two wins from the double programme - but they lived dangerously.

They bowled out Ushaw Moor for just 75 yesterday with Deighton Butler claiming six wickets for 20 runs and Jonathan Gill 3-42 but in reply Evenwood lost nine wickets reaching their modest target.

Esh Winning, who went second on Saturday, were denied the opportunity to stay there when their match at Tudhoe was abandoned. They faced a formidable challenge, though, after the home side had posted almost 250 which included a century by Shahid Anwar.

Kimblesworth, who played only once, celebrated a six wicket win at Mainsforth which took them back into second position. Farook Iqbal (3-17) and Masood Mirza (4-21) featured when the home side scored only 77 all out.

Shildon, dismissed for only 88 on Saturday, managed just a quarter of that total at Sedgefield where the game last only 75 minutes.

Jonathan Clark took five wickets for seven runs and Martin Lower 4-15 as Shildon scraped together only 22 runs before the home side romped to victory.

Campbell Robertson was in good form hitting 84 of Brandon's total of 189-5 against Crook Town, who were 78-2 when the rain arrived and the match between Willington and Langley Park was also abandoned with the home team on 58 without loss replying to a total of 176-9 which included 67 by Keith Smith.

The game of the day on Saturday ended with a three-wicket win for Evenwood against Brandon, who were all out for just 87 as Deighton Butler exploited the rain-affected wicket by claiming five wickets for a miserly 12 runs.

Evenwood also struggled for runs, but they succeeded despite losing seven wickets, five of them to Campbell Robertson for only 24 runs.

Esh Winning had runs and overs to spare defeating Sedgefield. Ian Dixon hit six boundaries in 48 leading Esh to 152-8 from 40 overs with Richard Brown and Martin Lower each taking three wickets and bowling ten overs apiece in the visitors' attack.

Although Ridley (32) and David Iceton (31) temporarily threatened, Esh had 27 runs in hand when Eddie Watson took five wickets for just 26 runs in 8.5 overs and Neil Arrowsmith assisted with figures of 3-37 from nine overs.

Despite the conditions, Tudhoe and Ushaw Moor were involved in a high-scoring game which produced over 400 runs.

Shahid Anwar (65) and Stephen Davies, whose century included seven sixes and four boundaries, added 149 runs for Tudhoe's second wicket and the formidable total of 231-7 was attained.

Sanjay Raul threatened for Ushaw Moor, hitting 73 from only 78 balls but despite 43 by Peter McCormick and a late unbeaten 39 from Brendan Jackson, the visitors could only reach 203-8 when their overs expired.

There was a close call when Crook Town had only four runs to spare over neighbours Willington. Joe Barnes struck six boundaries making 62 not out as Crook's 40 overs yielded 146-4.

Neil Barfuss led Willington's reply, contributing 47 which together with 34 from Karl Brown gave Willington a chance but three late wickets by Andy Burgess proved decisive.

Shildon suffered a ten-wicket defeat visiting Mainsforth where they struggled through 39.2 overs totalling 88 which included 38 by Chris Lyle.

Mark Stephenson returned 4-32 from ten overs and Gary Purcell, David Fishburn and Wayne Firbank picked up two wickets apiece.

Purcell struck six fours in 41 not out and Firbank had eight boundaries adding an unbeaten 42 to the Mainsforth reply of 90 without loss achieved in just 18 overs.

Gary Cummings gave a man-of-the-match performance in Etherley's defeat of Langley Park.

He scored more than half his side's runs, contributing 63 to the total of 125-8 and then captured 3-20 which together with a four-wicket haul from Colin Barker had Langley Park back in the pavilion for 98 runs.