BATSMEN revelled in the sunshine as three centuries were the features of a runpacked day in which Nick Hendrie, Great Ayton’s South African match winner, was the individual star with his second of the season.

And Guisborough, who won in the last over for the second time in a week, shared the honours with Middlesbrough who won their first game in 12 as Wally Ghauri came back from injury to become one of the others to join the hundred club.

The only change among the championship’s main contenders, three of whom drew their games, was the move by Richmondshire into second place, but table-toppers Darlington still have a comfortable lead.

The Dalesmen helped themselves to an early finish at Hartlepool where Sam Wood (5-34) and Shani Dissanayake (3-16) shared 30.4 overs to bundle out their opponents for just 81. Then Gary Pratt (49 from 49 balls with six fours and a six) and Mike Layfield (31 from 27 balls with five boundaries) took them quickly to a nine-wicket victory. Darlington, who are rarely held up by any opponents, found Saltburn close to producing a shock result when they came within 19 runs of victory. For once Jon Barnes (2-31), Doug Mulholland (2-64) and Peter Armstrong, who managed just one wicket, couldn’t dominate their opponents after their own batting was unspectacular. Steve Purcifer (3-8) and Dan Conway (2-58) had their moments as the Quakers were rescued with a 53-run partnership for the fifth wicket by the Mulholland (41) and Barnes (34) combo. Darlington were restricted to 164-9.

The Seasiders also found runs hard to come by and, on 87 for 6, could have crumbled had it not been for a timely 31 runs from Kevin Brown and an eighth wicket stand between Conway (22 not out) and Jason Erskine (19 not out). They finished on 146-7, as close as anyone has been to scaring the leaders.

Stokesley made the day’s biggest score, losing just three wickets in reaching 278 against Marske with a special trio getting the bulk of the runs.

Jonny Weighell hit 87 from 82 balls with 17 fours and Will Brown was unbeaten on 66 from 43 balls with seven fours and three sixes, while James Beaumont (68 not out from 143 balls) held it all together.

Weighell shared an opening stand of 144 with him and Brown followed with an unbroken 85 partnership for the fourth wicket.

Marske lost their first two wickets for just one run in reply to the home professional Dieter Klein, but slowly recovered and with Nadeera Nawela making 69 from 110 balls, with seven fours and a six, they reached a ponderous 158-6 to make sure their rivals took only 16 out of a possible 25 points.

Great Ayton took all 25 when they beat Seaton Carew to re-establish themselves as one of the mid-table teams set on making a bid, in the second half of the season, for top three honours.

Century maker Hendrie shared in what could be a new club record first-wicket stand of 190 with Chris Batchelor, who could class himself the unluckiest player of the day when he just missed out on a hundred himself.

He was bowled when he was 99! Between them they hit 17 boundaries.

Ayton totalled 253-7 with Seaton’s Danny Thomas taking six of the wickets. David Grainge (4-25), Chris Witherley (3-30) and Lewis Harper (2-28) bowled out Seaton for 121 with David Storey making his premier league debut with 29.

The clash between Marton and Barnard Castle – two of the top five – was evenly matched both in talent and points. Aamer Sajjad, the Barney professional continued his new found form with a superb 92 from 69 balls to be matched by Lee Hodgson (90 from 112 balls)and team-mate Sam Jones (85 from 105 balls).

Middlesbrough’s win was against fellow strugglers Sedgefield who, after this defeat by a massive 143 runs, are now 24 points adrift of safety at the foot of the table.

Ghauri’s brilliant undefeated 128 included 13 fours and three sixes and was included in a stand worth 185 with Paul Johnston (77). James Lowe (4-29) caused havoc as Sedgefield’s last five wickets fell for just nine runs.

Guisborough’s rare double – winning two successive games in the last over of each – was against Redcar whose skipperTom Urwin was the day’s third century king.