Victories for the top four clubs meant little change at the top of the NEPL Premier Division, with all the shocks reserved for the second tier where the two pre-season title favourites crashed to defeats.
Hetton Lyons turned in the most devastating display in the top flight, bowling Durham Academy out for 16, the lowest total made in the history of the league beating the previous poorest of 27 which was set by South Shields in 2013.
Lyons had earlier managed to post a target of 180 for nine, the runs shared around with the top scorer being Jonny Malkin with 27.
Spinner Adam Hickey picked up three wickets, but then it was the Academy lads who were in a spin as Pakistani paceman Lal Kumar destroyed them in seven devastating overs.
He took eight wickets for just four runs, the youngsters routed for the new record low and all ten wickets going down for 7 runs as the total lurched from 9-0 to 16 all out. There were no fewer than seven ducks as the roof caved in.
South North retained top spot with a workmanlike performance against Tynemouth, this coming just a few hours after their opponents had beaten them easily in the T20.
Skipper John Graham was the man rallying the troops with a rock solid 94 made from 163 balls, and with Adam Cragg htting nine boundaries in his 66 the pair rescued the Bulls from a poor start in an excellent fourth wicket partnership.
Johnny Wightman (6-27) then blasted out the home team for 86 inside 39 overs to leave them 112 runs short of his side’s 198 for eight.
Benwell Hill had little trouble disposing of hapless Gateshead Fell, and the maximum points haul from a 106-run victory inched them closer to the top two teams.
Dan Young laid the Hill foundations with an opening half century, but it was Zohaib Khan who completed the construction of a total of 244 for six with a 110-ball 108, the brilliant knock including 14 fours and 1 six.
Fell had 60 overs to bat, and they almost made it to the draw, losing their last wicket on 138 with just ten balls remaining, Graeme Race (3-12) picking up the last two wickets in three balls to deflate the visitors.
In other Premier fixtures Newcastle were completely overrun by Chester-le-Street, a Simon Birtwisle century lifting the Cestrians to a mammoth 307 for seven before the hosts folded for 99 in 36 overs, and Blaydon lifted themselves well clear of the danger zone with a four wicket home win over Whitburn, victory coming courtesy of an unbroken seventh wicket partnership of 94 between Geoff Stwart (55 not out) and Craig Burke (43 not out) which took Blaydon from impending defeat on 72 for six to improbable success on 166 for six.
Washington’s First Division hopes were given a shake by Eppleton in a low scoring game they could, and perhaps should, have won.
After being rolled over for a paltry 85 Washington were looking down the barrel at the interval but came back into the game with a vengeance as Eppleton collapsed from 28 without loss to 56 for nine, Jak Gaff (4-20) and Melvyn Betts (3-30) undermining them.
With 33 needed by the last pair, Zaheer Shahbaz and David Wilkinson somehow delivered to leave the home team beaten by a solitary wicket.
Brandon’s demise was swift. Four Boldon bowlers combined to skittle them for 54 in 24 overs, and their misery was complete when Ruel Brathwaite broke down after just one ball to leave the way clear for Joe Coyne to claim the undisputed man-of-the-match accolades as he added an unbeaten 40 to his three earlier wickets.