Just nine matches into their first season at the highest level, Barnard Castle made their mark in glorious style when they defeated leaders Richmondshire and consolidated their place among the top six.

For the Dalesmen it was an all too familiar story of what might have been, with their fall from grace almost a mirror image of what happened at this stage last season.

Now in fifth place, they saw their five-day residency at the top of the table return to Hartlepool, who they had originally edged out.

Pool took maximum points at Guisborough in a game which wet conditions reduced each innings to 31 overs.

Sri Lankan Kasun Bodhisha saw Pool home with three overs to spare and six wickets in hand with a masterful unbeaten 64 from 69 balls.

Neil Coverdale, 25, set up the reply after Mark Symington (4-39) restricted Guisborough to 138 for seven.

Darlington, with their fourth successive win, became the day's other highest flyers, beating Normanby Hall in a game which produced two superb centuries, one on each side.

Normanby's Janaka Gunarathne, on his home debut, smashed ten fours and five sixes in a dazzling knock of 121 from 128 balls before Rajin Saleh, with 110 from 107 balls, including 18 boundaries, powered the Quakers to victory by six wickets.

They were set 231 to win after an unusually protracted three-and-a-half hours in the field because of the damp conditions. Peter Armstrong (5-41) kept Darlington in the game before Saleh and Liam Coates (65) shared a match-winning stand of 168.

The brilliant win for Barnard Castle was largely a triumph for their spin bowling trio of James Finch (5-35), Dave Stanwix (2-19) and James Quinn (2-30). They had Richmondshire in all sorts of trouble early in an innings which subsequently slumped to 81 for seven, including the fall of three wickets without a run being scored.

They were finally dismissed for 124, with only Mike Layfield (34) showing any real resistance.

Barney's response showed the determination of Richard Borrowdale (46) and Ben Usher (30no) at its best and they saw their side home to a resounding six-wicket triumph.

Great Ayton, among the teams to have enjoyed a brief spell as league leaders, moved from fourth into second place, just 12 points behind Hartlepool, when they enjoyed the day's biggest win, by nine wickets, over Northallerton.

Pakistan professional Lal Kumar produced his best figures of the season so far in capturing seven for 51 in 12.3 overs of aggression to dismantle the opposition.

Northallerton never recovered from being 19 for four and were all out for a paltry 110.

Chris Batchelor (68no) shared a stand of 69 with Kumar (27no) to put an end to a run of defeats which saw them briefly drop back in the title race.

Billingham Synthonia's outstanding start to what is proving their best season for years was given another boost when they took advantage of the poor form of Bishop Auckland, who now find themselves in bottom place.

Craig Symington (47no and 3-12) produced a quality double act with Stuart Lobb (41 and 3-44) to dismiss Bishops for 106 and then knock off the runs in just 17.5 overs to gain victory by seven wickets.

Middlesbrough, although remaining in the bottom two, put up a sterner fight at Marton, where the game just survived the oncoming bad light after being reduced to 44 overs for each side.

Marton were back to their best batting form reaching 267 for five after Whalid Ghauri (75 from 76 balls) and Upul Indrasiri (70 from 69 balls) hit 23 boundaries between them.

Boro's reply featured a third-wicket stand of 73 between James Lowe (47) and Tom Hodgson (33), but after looking a little vulnerable with six wickets gone and eight overs still remaining, Zaheer Shahbaz (28) came to the rescue as Boro finished on 202 for eight.

The other drawn finish was at Marske, where Joe Wing (63 and 4-54) starred for the hosts and Will Brown (54) and Andrew Weighell (48) continued in top form for Stokesley.