IT was a day for the bowlers in the top flight last weekend, with only one of the scheduled matches featuring more than 100 runs per team.

And pride of place in the bowling stakes went to Brompton’s Mark Tiplady who bagged a bumper haul of 7-15 to leave Raby Castle in tatters and two runs short oftheir opponents modest first innings effort of 100.

Brompton found life tough at the crease, Jack Heads their top scorer with 23 as Matthew Dent (4-26) led a five-pronged attack in which everyone picked up a wicket. But Tiplady then crashed through Raby’s top order as five of the first seven batsmen fell for ducks, and the game looked all but over with the visitors on 20-7.

Graeme West (31) and Mark Poole (25) then set about restoring some sanity to proceedings, and they looked eminently capable of pulling the game out of the fire until Tiplady struck for the crucial last time to pull up Castle’s drawbridge for 98.

Haughton owed their eight wicket success over visitors Barningham to a trio of bowlers. Daniel Naisbitt (4-12 in 8.5 overs), Michael Lunn (3- 12 in 10 overs) and Cory Edwards (3-26) turned Barney to rubble as they routed them for 72 in 31.5 overs torturous overs, and then Sam Bainbridge stroked 4 fours and a six in an unbeaten 34 which steered his side to a trouble free success.

Dion Wood was up to his old tricks at East Cowton, and along with Ian Potts the pair dismantled the home team for a paltry 52. Both players featured six maidens in their ten over spells, with Potts ending with 4-11, and Wood5-16, and then Rockliffe Park rushed through to an eight wicket win inside ten overs.

Yet more destruction was inflicted at Middleton in Teesdale where Aldbrough St John were bundled out for 62, Graham Hutchinson (5-17) and Josh Rosengarten (4-25) the destroyers in chief. But Middleton had to fight hard for their runs as they lost seven wickets before staggering over the line, Dave Mathias (3-24) the main thorn in their sides, although two run outs didn’t help matters.

The Barton batters showed how it should be done as they made easily the highest score of the day (162-8) in their home game against Middleton St George, Peter Frankland’s late 37 boosting their cause.

The George lost early wickets in the run chase and never got back on track, falling for 115 as David Scaife (3-32) and John Murray (4-37) added their names to the long list of successful bowlers of the day.