Saltburn should push Guisborough all the way for the championship but this week official Simon Walker insisted that captain Umer Rashid and his players were taking nothing for granted.

"We have made a good start but there is an awful long way to go," said Walker.

"We still have Blackhall to play twice and they inflicted a couple of defeats on us last season. Some games will be affected by the weather when others go ahead and really anything can happen."

Today, Saltburn host Northallerton without Stuart Davies, who has a broken finger and could be out for a couple of weeks, and Adil Ditta.

Northallerton also have an injury victim in David Wake. He returned from Australia and played his first game last Saturday but in Tuesday's match with Hartlepool, he was hit in the mouth by a tremendous shot from Steve Chapman.

"The ball was going like a rocket and a lot of people would have just got out of the way but David went for the catch. He received a nasty smack and was taken to hospital," said Northallerton secretary Ian Morton. Wake's replacement this afternoon is John Gregory.

Guisborough, defending a narrow lead at the top, visit bottom-of-the-table Wolviston, who gave an improved performance to draw Tuesday's match at Middlesbrough.

"We completed a treble over the holiday weekend, defeating Richmondshire and Darlington RA in the league and also winning at Middlesbrough in the National ECB Knockout Cup, so I feel we are now in top gear," said fixture secretary and early-order batsman Gary Bolton.

Guisborough field their first-choice line-up at Wolviston, who have lost six of their first eight games in their initial season in the Premier Division.

Darlington had two poor results last weekend and at Thornaby will be minus Paul Raine. Rob Lawrence, who took all five Blackhall wickets to fall on Tuesday, is available. Matt Dex has returned from holiday and is included in Neil Marsden's Thornaby team with youngster Chris Metcalfe making way.

Robbie Barker has returned to university but former captain Andrew Mollitt is the ideal replacement when Richmondshire take on Darlington RA, who have Paul Dobson in from the second team, replacing Jimmy Middleton.

Inconsistency has cost Middlesbrough a couple of victories, according to captain Danny Evans. "We are a young side and on our day I believe we can give any team a run for their money but sometimes our inexperience shows," said Evans, whose chances of winning in the first eight games were not helped by the fact that he won the toss just twice.

"Before the start of the season I said a top-five position would be success and I have not changed my prediction."

Boro visit Redcar and if Sri Lankan Dulip Samaraweera, who last season scored 1,074 runs, hits form, they could again find it hard to dismiss their opponents.

Hartlepool's Chris Suttill reports that Jack Wilkinson, who has scored 100 and a half century for the second team, wins his place in preference to David Lamb, who moves down.

Marske visit Park Drive with Neil Coverley, who has been sidelined for a couple of weeks through injury, returning in place of Chris Shepherd.

Blackhall skipper Ben Usher is pleased that John Darby and Gavin Watts can line up in the home game with Normanby Hall. Ricky Darwin, who was among the wickets in Tuesday's victory at Darlington, retains his place.

Paul Moss is still unavailable and Mark Cushlow and David Penman are also missing from the Collierymen's team.

In Division One, Darlington face a stern test against promotion candidates Great Ayton at Feethams. Simon Gough and Lee Hutton resume and Colin Biglin is also included after making an unbeaten 99 against Seaton Carew last Saturday.