Shotley Bridge passed their biggest test with flying colours to breathe new life into the championship race.

Their home meeting against runaway leaders Swalwell had a crucial feel to it despite just one-third of the season having been completed. An away victory would have left Bridge with a significant amount of ground to make up, but they came good at the right time.

Swalwell put faith in their magnificent batting line-up by deciding to bat when winning the toss, but Bridge's four-pronged attack managed to share the donkey work and contain the visitors for most of the 50 overs, picking up wickets at key moments in the innings.

It was left to Malcolm Clarke, who hit six fours and two sixes in an unbeaten 79 from 82 balls, to lift Swalwell just past the 200 mark by the close.

Despite the loss of an early wicket, Bridge's reply started quickly in the important opening overs, but then a mini collapse to 141 for six swung the game towards the visitors.

However, that was as good as it got for the champs as Lee Shaw (41no from 47 balls) and Andrew Stokoe (29no) combined in a match-winning seventh-wicket stand that took an ecstatic Bridge to victory with 16 balls to spare.

The win moved Bridge to within touching distance of their beaten opponents at the top, and just behind the leading pair there were convincing wins for Sacriston and Percy Main.

Sacriston made surprisingly short work of Annfield Plain, winning by nine wickets after bowling out their opponents for 114, while Anirudh Singh made life a misery for bottom club Newcastle City with an unbeaten century that set up Percy Main's imposing 127-run victory that lifted them into fourth place in the table, just 20 points behind the leaders.

Burnopfield continued to get their feet underneath the top-flight table and moved into a comfortable mid-table slot with a five-wicket win at Chopwell after successfully chasing down a demanding target of 230.

Mike Jones (5-67 and 41no) combined with Dave Baxter (94) to give their team the winning edge.

Lanchester made it three wins in a row - to follow their four consecutive opening defeats - when they defeated Morpeth by five wickets, student Luke Blackaby once again displaying his class with an unbeaten 82, the victory taking his team well clear of the bottom two, where Ashington now sit after losing at Tynedale. The home side kept the Colliers down to 215 for eight then Dave Newton (81) saw the Hexham outfit through to a five wicket win.