HORDEN burst into championship contention as they walloped Castle Eden by 142 runs to go second, just six points behind leaders Kimblesworth who drew at Norton.

Castle Eden had new ‘pro’ Habib Quereshi on show and he picked up 3-34 in ten overs, but nine fours and two sixes from Horden’s West Indian, Adelvin Phillip (64), helped the visitors to 215 before Gary Ward (5-33) and Adam Dixon (3-22) sent the Castle to the bottom of the table.

Horden’s move up the rankings came when they were the only winners of the leaders .

The Norton match was at least one of the keenly fought battles, with each side in with a chance of victory and the Teessiders earning an honourable draw with their last pair at the wicket.

Paul Craig (52) and Michael Fishwick (48) did well for Kimblesworth, but just when it looked like they were set to launch a late offensive Jon Kean (4-44) returned to the attack to blow away their tail and set up a reasonable victory chance for his side.

Set 192 to win Norton’s Nicky Thomas looked good with a classy 77, but the persistence of the Kimbles attack, in which Colin Myers (3- 44) and Kevin Dixon snr (4-24) excelled, pegging the home team back and it took a backs to the wall last wicket stand to stave off defeat on 170-9.

Durham City experienced the joy of victory for the first time this season, and their six wicket success over Philadelphia was enough to lift them above Castle in the table.

Subhan Christudas bagged 2- 15 and scored 37 to just take the man-of-the-match from several deserving candidates.

It was also a good day for Felling who earned only their second victory of the campaign with a seven wicket success over Whitburn. New Pakistani ‘pro’ Rizwan Haider debuted for the hosts, but it was skipper Ant Trotter who took the eye with a spell of 4-25 that had Whitburn back in the hutch for 180, and then Danny Clark (38) and Chris Goudie (64) opened out well to inspire Felling to victory.

In the day’s other games Jimmy Daley (62) and Alec Linsley (42no) provided the key ingredients in Burnmoor’s declared total of 177- 5 at home to South Hetton, but when Mohammed Zahid (4-37) squeezed the life out of South Hetton’s reply they settled for safety on 142-7.

And Matthew Sampson- Barnes turned in a wonderful all-round effort with 89 and 5- 23 for Boldon (271-7) against Eppleton (129-7), with the home team deciding discretion was the better part of valour after only getting 41 overs to go for victory, Kyle Davis batting through for an unbeaten 67.