Eager for success after missing out on the Darlington Building Society North Yorkshire and South Durham ECB Premier League title over the last two seasons, Darlington got the lucky break champions need and took a major step towards lifting the league crown.
On a day when heavy rain wrecked all but one of the other six premier games, they had the good fortune to beat the weather and their closest rivals, Stokesley, in a hard fought 90 minutes in which they were able to extend their lead as table toppers from ten to 27 points.
Before the rain came, the hosts had been bowled out for just 92 runs, their lowest of the season with Doug Mulholland (5-19) and Jon Barnes (4-29), helped by top class catching, mesmerising the majority of the Stokesley batsmen.
Only James Weighell (31) went on the attack but even though he hit Barnes for 14 in one over (two fours and a six) it was the only aggression offered and he, too, went as disappointingly as many of his team-mates.
Barnes, who bowled 17 overs, had three wickets for three runs in his opening nine. Mulholland’s five were among the last six wickets to fall.
After wondering if the rain clouds would frustrate and ultimately defeat their efforts to restart the game, Darlington were left with a reduced 23 overs, but despite some scares along the way, they won with 14 balls and three wickets to spare.
Top batter Liam Coates (27 from 31 balls) set the pace with Matty Wheeler (17 not out) and Mulholland (16 not out) finishing the job.
For Stokesley, pro Dieter Klein (3-16 from 8 overs) and skipper Andrew Weighell (3-36 from seven) almost took it to the wire.
In the other game to overcome the conditions, Sedgefield had one of their better days when they drew at Marton. Nisal Randika returned after a short unexpected spell back in Sri Lanka, and with 83 runs, including eight fours and a six, was the game’s top runmaker.
Calum MacLeod, recently signed by Durham to become a T20 hero, made his debut as Sedgefield’s pro replacement for Mark Davies but managed just 15 runs and one wicket in his 10 overs. Marton made 185 for eight and Sedgefield replied with 154 for nine.
Rain killed off the rest of the day’s programme but not before Durham wicket-keeper-batsman, Phil Mustard, on his debut for Marske, enjoyed a faultless innings but just missed out on a century which would have made it a perfect one.
He hit 93 out of 236 for five against Middlesbrough. He faced 128 balls and hit 11 fours after being signed as professional replacement for Yorkshire’s Adam Lyth.
Gary Lynch had the most spectacular innings as second top scorer, hitting all but four runs in boundaries in a quickfire innings of 36. He smashed five fours and two sixes from 25 balls.
Boro’s Callum Buckley was their most successful bowler with two of the five wickets which fell. He completed 11 overs for 36 runs. His skipper, James Lowe, had the consolation of bagging ‘The Colonel’s’ wicket. Middlesbrough faced just two overs before the game was washed out.
Another high scoring first innings was the feature of the game in which Guisborough took 11 points and Hartlepool just seven after the universal downpour left the Priory club’s ground sopping wet while the players were off for the tea-break.
Sri Lankan Roshen Silva was seven runs short of his first century for the club, unbeaten and still looking in immaculate form as the club finished their 50 overs on 248 while losing just three wickets.
Silva’s 115-ball 93 not out included 13 fours and a six, sharing partnerships of 109 with Chris Allinson (64) and 93 with Phil Holdsworth (51 not out). Allinson faced 92 balls and hit six fours and two sixes while his skipper was in a hurry, facing just 39 balls and making 32 in boundaries. The game was abandoned almost immediately after tea.
Seaton Carew’s visit to Redcar suffered a similar fate with the hosts getting 11 of the 20 points awarded. Seaton totalled a modest 128 runs but the wicket was bowler friendly and in the short time available for Redcar to reply they lost two wickets for just 15 runs.
Yet another successful Sri Lankan, Sanjaya Rodrigo, was in good form, making 61 – nearly half the team total.
Redcar’s professionals turned the screw with Mohammed Zahid (6-28 from 17 overs) taking his season’s tally to 50, and Muhammed Saad (2-26 from 10 overs) giving him admirable support.
Richmondshire’s game with Saltburn (11-0) became the afternoon’s early victim, although Barnard Castle’s home game with Great Ayton was the first to be lost – it was called off during the morning - as the Dales suffered the worst conditions.