It was all change at both the top and bottom, with Whitburn taking over as the new leaders and Felling managing to leapfrog Durham City to ease the relegation pressure.

Kimblesworth were tipped to be a handful in their first year in the league, and so it is proving.

They gained their best result to date when hammering champions Boldon by nine wickets, knocking off a target of 201 with ease.

Andrew Biggs (5-45) was chiefly responsible for holding Boldon in check, James Coyne unlucky to be not out at the close of the home innings with 97 to his name.

But then Stephen Meek (61), Aussie Sam MacPherson (75no) and Michael Fishwick (34no) made a difficult task look easy.

The nine-wicket win cemented Kimblesworth in third place, and they are now just eight points behind new leaders Whitburn (234-5 dec), who had to be satisfied with a draw at Horden (174-5) despite another superb century from Stuart Walker, who hit 18 boundaries in an unbeaten 133.

The game was reduced to 92 overs and Horden were able to dig in for the draw as Stephen McCoy's half-century led the fightback.

Felling's first victory took on added significance as it meant they clawed their way off the foot of the table for the first time this season.

Durham City, who started the day one place and nine points above their opponents, found the home trio of Paul Leonard (3-32), Chris Goudie (3-17) and Ant Trotter (3-22) too hot to handle, with only Andrew Sixsmith (34) putting up any real resistance.

City totalled 99 in 38 overs, and it took Felling only 20.2 overs to secure the vital victory, with Goudie adding to a great day for himself with six fours in 39 not out as the home team won by six wickets to move above their defeated opponents.

Sura Malinga has taken a little while to settle into the groove for his new club Eppleton but he certainly did the business on Saturday as he starred in his side's five-wicket victory over Castle Eden.

It looked like being his day when he took two wickets in his first over and this set him on the way to a five-wicket haul as Castle were bundled out for 138, and then he was in the thick of the action again as his unbeaten 41 saw Eppleton home.

There were wins for South Hetton, by seven wickets over Philadelphia, with John Pendlington (5-45), Neil Young (65) and Liam Irving (56no) their match-winners, while Burnmoor (216-4 dec) and Norton (173-7) drew in a match that featured a century from Jimmy Daley.