WITH just two rounds of the Newroc Homes Darlington & District League season complete only four sides are clinging on to a 100 per cent record.

And it looks as though champions Middleton St George will take some shifting from their perch as they recorded another victory last weekend to see off the challenge of Catterick by 107 runs.

It was a real team effort from the George as Joe Binks (45), Steven Rogers (33), Joe Lincoln (31) and Mohammed Ayub (30) all got their names into the paper in the line score results.

Bill Smith (3-62) toiled manfully through 15 overs for the Villagers, but the target his team were faced with of 197 was never in sight as Simon Rogers (3-21) and Dave Glew (4-18) bowled them out for 90.

Barton’s second win was by an emphatic nine wickets at Lands where the home side fought hard to reach 149-5 in 40 overs.

As ever, Michael Bredenkamp was their inspiration, stroking two fours and three sixes in his 49. Andrew Elstob also hit three maximums in reaching 38, but Peter Franklin’s steady 13-over spell, in which he claimed 3-41, kept the target within bounds.

And any concerns Barton had were quickly dispelled by an opening partnership of 90 between Tony Millar (52no) and John Murray (55). Neil Kearney (35no) then applied the coup de grace as Barton romped home inside 32 overs.

Rockliffe Park batted Ingleton out of their match by half-time.

Ashley Fiedell (78no) and Karl Wheeler (60) had the measure of the visitors attack and the Park closed on 227-4. Ingleton didn’t attempt to go for the runs despite Park using eight bowlers to try and spice things up, and Ian Potts was the only wicket taker as the match petered out on 116-3.

Aldbrough St John are the other 100 per center, and they had nine wickets to spare when beating Raby Castle after knocking off 138, Jack Stapleton leading the successful run chase with 62 not out.

Barningham have a few worries after suffering their second successive defeat. Middleton in Teesdale proved too good for them with Richard Watson turning in the league’s best bowling performance of the day as he claimed 7-41 in 14.5 overs.

Scott Walker did his best to resist Watson, stroking nine fours and a six in his opening 55, and though Richard Kyle added a defiant 37 the total of 159 was never going to be enough to contain Middleton, particularly with Anthony Coatsworth in fine form as 13 fours and a six lit up his unbeaten 88.

Cockerton crashed the ball about at Haughton as Aman Ali (56) led a run spree that took his team to a score of 242-7. He then completed the job in style by firing out five batsmen for just 15 runs as the home team fell apart for 121 after a reasonable start.