Readers Durham Cricket League and Go North East NTSL

LEADERS Esh Winning held their nerve to rescue a sensational three run win over Philadelphia after looking odds on for their first defeat of the summer in the Durham Cricket League.

In their three years in the newly formed competition Esh have never gone beyond the 45 over mark when batting first, and they kept that tradition alive as they raced along to 228-9 before pulling the plug exactly on cue. A splendid innings of 101 from Bangladeshi international Suhrawadi Shuvo, a knock which included 13 fours and 3 sixes and lasted just 73 balls, and a half century by Stuart Hall, were the highlights as Esh laid down the gauntlet to their opponents.

Adam McGuire (5-61) had been the man keeping the lid on things for Phili, and he must have thought his bowling had won the game when Peter Greenwell (83 from 93 balls) and Paul Hollinshead (95 from 97 balls) were on the rampage. The pair came together with Phili tottering having lost their first three batsmen with just 23 on the board, and took them to the brink of victory in a fourth wicket partnership of 161.

Despite losing Hollinshead with the total on 184, a Phili win still seemed a formality, and when the score advanced to 218-6 it looked all over bar the shouting, but then the last four wickets fell for only seven runs to leave the shattered visitors beaten by three, Paul Chivers the home hero with five wickets, including the last two in the space of three balls.

Meanwhile, as anticipated, Dawdon were extracting the full 30 points from Boldon CA to stay in touch with the table-toppers, but unbeaten Mainsforth were unable to claim the one wicket that would have given them a home victory over Easington, the visitors clinging on at 117-9 in response to their hosts 45 over score of 163-9. Jonny Barnes (57 and 4-18) had no overs left to him when Gary Ward (34 not out) secured the draw for the visitors.

Durham City rekindled their title hopes with a six wicket win over Bill Quay, skipper Jake McCann (69) anchoring a successful run chase which saw a target of 176-9 demolished in 38 overs, Quay’s defeat raising their relegation concerns after Hylton pulled off a surprise win at Castle Eden that lifted them to within 11 points of the third bottom club.

Shotley Bridge saw their NTSL title hopes savaged when hosts Tynedale successfully chased down a stretching target of 256-7 with more than three overs to spare.

A Peter Collingwood century seemed to have put Bridge out of reach, but Johnny Meadows gave Tynedale the start they wanted as he blasted 14 fours and 2 sixes in a run-a-ball 87, and with Jamie Crichton (53 from 58 balls) continuing the attack Shotley were beaten.

This gave Swalwell an opportunity to reclaim the leadership, and they duly did so although they only had four balls to spare at Consett after chasing down a target of 220, Lee Whitfield their main man with 70 crucial runs.

Ashington moved into second spot with a 111 run win at Annfield Plain in a game which featured two centuries. Anirudh Singh was back to his bruising best, cracking 19 fours and 6 sixes on his way to 190 not out in a Colliers total of 302-3, and then Neil Killeen made 110 not out but Plain finished well adrift on 190-6.

Leadgate moved well clear of the danger zone as they piled on 365-5 at home to Bedlington, Ross Burdon hitting 23 fours and 4 sixes in a 143-ball 173, and then new pro Mo Sharif making it 17 wickets in three matches as he claimed 5-31 to leave the Terriers 274 runs short.