Batsmen revelled in the sunshine as three centuries were the features of a run packed day in which Nick Hendrie, Great Ayton’s South African match winner, was the individual star with his second ton of the season.
And Guisborough, who triumphed in the last over for the second time in a week, shared the team honours with Middlesbrough who won their first game at the 12th attempt 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 ominous 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 for nine.
The Seasiders also found runs hard to come by and, on 87 for six, 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 for seven, 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 a spectacular 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 for six 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 on 99! Between them they hit 17 boundaries.
Ayton totalled 253 for seven with Seaton’s Danny Thomas taking six of the wickets. His 14 overs cost him 59 runs. 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 ‘pro’ 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).
Sajjad hit nine fours and four sixes while the Marton pair found the boundary 22 times. A total of 471 runs were scored and just 23 runs separated them at the finish.
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.