HALTWHISTLE lost further ground at the top of the table as they went down at home to South Northumberland 1864 .

While most of the division were awarded five points as the rain wiped out the fixtures, Haltwhistle missed out on the chance to move into second spot as they picked up just three points.

After a rain delay, the game was reduced to 35 overs per side with South Northumberland enjoying instant success as they elected to field first. Halty skipper Graeme Lee was caught by Richard Clifford off the bowling of Simon West with the score on three.

West kept the pressure on although Ryan Bell and opener Dan Parker put on 30 for the second wicket, having Bell and then Phillip Thompson caught in quick succession. Parker kept plugging away, but South’s bowlers were on top with David Parker enjoying great success when he came in late on. He finished with five wickets as his fielders backed him up to great effect.

Dan Parker finally fell to the bowling of Will Varley, caught by Callum Fletcher. South North suffered an early setback as Fletcher was caught by Armstrong, off Thompson’s delivery, for a duck. But a 50 run partnership between opener Hugo Leefe and Ben Sidney Wilmot put them on course for the victory.

After the latter departed, Leefe was joined by Ryan Sidney Wilmot and the pair both hit 41 on their way to victory.

Leefe finally departed to a catch from Reece Thirtle, but Sidney Wilmot and captain David Harbottle found the remaining runs in the 29th over.

Leaders Allendale made the most of their game beating the weather, heaping more misery on eight-man Newcastle III in the process.

Bouncing back from their first defeat of the season, a maximum point victory in the 10 wicket drubbing of bottom side Newcastle extended their lead to 26.

It was Liam Pringle’s turn to star with the ball, his figures of 6-8 from his six overs saw Newcastle’s innings end within 20 overs on a miserly 42.

Newcastle stubbornly saw off the opening pair of Tim Raglan and Geoff Sparke, and Matthew Scott got the breakthrough as he had William Thompson caught behind. Pringle then took over and accounted for the rest of the order.

Thirty one deliveries were all that Ali Stobbs and his captain Raglan needed to secure the 20 points, wasting no time in reaching the required 43. Raglan was particularly expansive as he hit three fours and two sixes, with Stobbs adding one maximum in his score of 15.

Mitford B closed the gap on the frontrunners as their game with Haltwhistle II was the only game in Division Two to survive the weather.

It was a close encounter but the 13 run victory but the 20 points moved the to 17 off leaders Belsay , and eight off their Mitford counterparts, with a game in hand. They got off to a good start through openers Carmichael and Chris Kirtley, with Craig Mole accelarting the run rate after Carmichael’s dismissal.

Things started to get tougher and the wickets started to fall, Alfie Dodd impressing with four wickets and Matt Dodd and Ben Cousins taking two each.

The score of 123 proved just out of Haltwhistle’s reach, although their middle order of Ben Hampshire, Heppell and Daryll Thompson moved the score on. But Mitford’s bowlers stemmed the flow successfully, Lawrence Park impressing with five wickets.