THEY were denied maximum points but Allendale continued their eye catching start to the new season.

They returned from Hexham Leazes with a five wicket victory, although they were made to work hard for the 10 points by the hosts.

Leazes opened the batting and recovered well after Tim Raglan (2-36) claimed the early wickets of Raji Kingman (5) and Andrrew Whitaker to leave the home side on 28-2.

With Ben Thompson (78*) in particularly fiery mood, he and Billy Kingman (33) put on nearly 100 runs for the third wicket before the latter fell to the bowling of Ross Laidlaw (1-30).

With the score on 125-3, Thompson, who hit 10 fours, and Stephen Donnison (21*), with three fours and a six, saw the side to a combined 158.

It was the batting of Kiwi Laidlaw (65*) which spearheaded Allendale to victory in the 26th over, his five fours and four sixes helping his side pass the total.

The visitors suffered an early setback when Luke Watson (3) was caught by Billy Kingman off Dan Toward (1-38), but Tim Raglan (14) and Eliot Cobell (21) steadied the ship.

Amit Sunda (34) then formed a good partnership with Laidlaw before he became the second of three victims of Lucas Holmes (3-37), and it was enough to see Allendale home.

HEXHAM LEAZES v ALLENDALE

Allendale won by five wickets

HEXHAM LEAZES: R. Kingman lbw b T. Raglan 5; B. Thompson not out 78; A. Whitaker b T. Raglan 3; B. Kingman b Laidlaw 33; S. Donnison not out 21. Extras 18. Total 158-3.

Bowling: R. Laidlaw 12-2-30-1; T. Raglan 11-1-36-2; A. Sunda 12-2-34-0; D. Griffin 3-0-17-0; L. Watson 4-0-27-0.

ALLENDALE: T. Raglan c Alex Brown b Ferguson 14; L. Watson c B. Kingman b Toward 3; E. Corbel b Holmes 21; R. Laidlaw not out 65; A. Sunda c Andrew Brown b Holmes 34; J. Raglan b Holmes 0; D. Griffin not out 2. Extras 10. Total 159-5.

Bowling: D. Toward 8-1-38-1; S. Ferguson 10-0-53-1; L. Holmes 5-0-37-3; Alex Brown 2.3-0-27-0.

Hexham Leazes 5pts, Allendale 10pts

Stocksfield II earned a second successive maximum as they edged a close, low scoring affair with Matfen Hall .

On a damp wicket, Stocksfield had to be patience as they put Matfen into bat first. Scoring was tricky although the home side did enjoy a good spell in the middle of the order through Callum Curnow (20), Eddie Scott (32) and Alex Pearse (15).

Finishing the game with two wickets each was Ryan Chamberlain (2-32), Alistair Thirlwell (2-10) and James Watson (2-14).

After a good start through Jonny Tobin (30), Adrian Marrison (11) and David Tyrrell (12), it seemed anything but a Stocksfield victory was on the cards.

With Stocksfield at 51-1, youngsters Tom Scott (3-9) and Liam McWilliam (2-20) bowled great spells to put Matfen right back in the chase but they fell just short as the outfield dried.

MATFEN HALL v STOCKSFIELD II

Stocksfield II won by two wickets

MATFEN HALL: I. Pilkington c Scandle b Chamberlain 9; L. McWilliam c Marrison b Allen 4; T. Scott lbw b Chamberlain 19; M. Stephens b Brown 3; C. Curnow c Allen b Thirlwell 20; E. Scott b Watson 32; A. Pearson run out 15; K. Withycombe run out 4; J. Ankers st Beedle b Thirlwell 1; R. Colesky not out 1; A. Tiffin b Watson 0. Extras 5. Total 113ao.

Bowling: A. Allen 6-3-7-1; C. Scandle 5-0-13-0; P. Brown 12-2-34-1; R. Chamberlain 9-0-32-2; A. Thirlwell 6-2-10-2; J. Watson 4-0-14-2.

STOCKSFIELD II: J. Tobin b T. Scott 30; A. Marrison b McWilliam 11; D. Tyrrell b T. Scott 12; S. Beedle c Withycombe b T. Scott 0; A. Thirlwell c Pearse b McWilliam 0; P. Bewick b Curnow 23; J. Watson not out 13; R. Chamberlain c Pearse b Tiffin 7; P. Brown run out 2; C. Scandle not out 0. Extras 16. Total 114-8.

Bowling: A. Tiffin 6.4-0-27-1; C. Curnow 11-3-37-1; L. McWilliam 12-3-20-2; T. Scott 6-2-9-3; K. Withycombe 3-0-9-0.

Matfen Hall 4pts, Stocksfield II 12pts

Humshaugh were given a scare by nine-man Haydon Bridge , but just did enough to earn 12 points by the margin of two runs.

With Bridge missing key players due to Jamie Taylor's stag weekend in Blackpool, they ran out of batting options in a competitive game at the high school.

Opener Nick Reid (61) and Hedley Renton (48) combined for most of Humshaugh's runs as they punished anything lose, the team ending their innings all out on 167.

Bridge started the run chase brightly and were looking good value as opener opener Chris Welton (21), Ian Watson (37), Robert Gibson (49) and captain Graeme Pigg (14) racked up the runs.

Yet they were just to be denied as their lack of bodies proved crucial, all out on 165 in the final over.

HAYDON BRIDGE v HUMSHAUGH

Humshaugh won by two runs

HUMSHAUGH: N. Reid c Gibson b Watson 61; M. Williamson b L. Stephenson 0; R. Forster b Gradwell 2; H. Renton b Watson 48; A. Crawford c&b Watson 0; L. Parkinson b Gradwell 12; G. Cook b Kendrew 16; O. Murtough c Welton b Watson 6; W. Forster not out 6; S. Arnup b Kendrew 0; J. Arnup b Kendrew 3. Extras 13. Total 167ao.

Bowling: G. Gradwell 10-1-43-2; L. Stephenson 3.4-0-28-1; I. Watson 10-1-37-4; N. Kendrew 9.1-1-40-3; R. Stephenson 4-0-7-0.

HAYDON BRIDGE: C. Welton c Crawford b Williamson 21; N. Kendrew b Williamson 8; I. Watson run out 37; R. Gibson b Parkinson 49; G. Pigg lbw b R. Forster 14; G. Gradwell b R. Forster 5; L. Stephenson c Cook b A. Crawford 0; G. Liddle b W. Forster 12; R. Stephenson not out 5. Extras 13. Total 165ao.

Bowling: M. Williamson 9-0-44-2; W. Forster 8.2-0-34-1; G. Cook 7-0-29-0; R. Forster 12-5-25-2; L. Parkinson 2-0-14-1; A. Crawford 3-0-13-1.

Haydon Bridge 5pts, Humshaugh 12pts

Stamfordham had just 10 men as they were thumped by 121 runs by Benwell Hill III , also celebrating two maximum point triumphs.

Stamfordham opening bowlers Richard Gardener (3-14) and Ian Donkin (1-32) made things difficult early on as they removed the top three in quick succession.

However, contributions from Luke Mussett (43), Darshana Thiranga (26), Andy Dawson (61*) and Shaun Rushton saw Hill recover well as they posted an innings total of 183-9.

The early signs for Stamfordham were decent enough in reply with Guy Halbert (10), Patterson (13) and Aamir Riaz (25*) chipping in with runs.

Yet the rest of the order were unable to put together a competitive charge as they fell flat on 62, Thiranga (4-9) their main destroyer.

STAMFORDHAM v BENWELL HILL III

Benwell Hill III won by 121 runs

BENWELL HILL III: B. Mussett c Donkin b Gardener 2; D. Hunter c Lambert b Gardener 0; J. Fletcher lbw b Donkin 2; L. Mussett c O'Neill c Adamson 43; D. Thiranga c&b Adamson 26; A. Dawson not out 61; S. Rushton c Rutherford b Adamson 20; J. Mason b Halbert 7; H. Baldwin c Lambert b Halbert 6; S. Stobbart b Gardener 0; I. Ahmed not out 1. Extras 15. Total 183-9.

Bowling: R. Gardener 9-4-14-3; I. Donkin 9-2-32-1; G. Adamson 12-2-52-3; P. O'Neill 7-1-32-0; G. Halbert 5-0-44-2.

STAMFORDHAM: I. Donkin c Rushton b Ahmed 1; G. Halbert c Fletcher b Rushton 10; A. Patterson c Dawson b Thiranga 13; A. Riaz not out 25; P. O'Neill c Dawson b Thiranga 0; G. Adamson b Rushton 2; R. Gardener b Thiranga 0; J. Lambert b Thiranga 0; W. Rutherford lbw b Rushton 1; M. Smith c Rushton b Baldwin 7. Extras 3. Total 62ao.

Bowling: D. Thiranga 8-4-9-4; I. Ahmed 4-0-14-1; S. Rushton 6-0-26-3; H. Baldwin 2.3-0-12-1.

Stamfordham 5pts, Benwell Hill III 12pts

Title candidates Haltwhistle and Wylam had to settle for four points apiece as their crunch meeting was cancelled due to the wet weather. The same fate befell Newcastle III and Newton .