An 100 plus partnership between John Meadows and Tom Cant moved Tynedale back into the top four.

Their stand helped secure a 23 wicket victory over Alnmouth and Lesbury, meaning last season‘s champions head to relegation threatened Annfield Plain on Saturday in the driving seat to secure fourth spot with two rival teams breathing down their necks.

The second wicket pairing of Meadows (65) and Cant (67) spearheaded the victory, Meadows hitting eight fours and two sixes from 77 deliveries and his captain hitting five fours and a six from 114 balls.

They were paired earlier than expected when opener Connor Fellowes was caught by Robert Burnett off Nicholas Denton (2-30), and they took the game to Alnmouth by putting on 125 runs.

Meadows was the first of them to depart when caught by Robin Tudor off Ian Clough (1-48), while Cant went to another catch by Burnett to Russell Hughes (3-42) after making 12 more runs.

James Rainford (40) carried on the good work as he made six fours and outlasted Jamie Crichton (14), caught by Alistair Batey off Hughes, and Josh Renton (8), bowled by Hughes, before he went to a catch from Tom Vickers off Edward Brunton (1-49).

With overs against them, Tynedale went chasing the runs and Curtis Lucas impressed with a fantastic total of 17 from just five deliveries as he smashed two sixes and a four before bowled by Denton. Callum Barnes (13no) was racking up the runs too and he and Will Dagg (3no) were in play when the innings came to an end.

Alnmouth were always in contention in reply and Hughes (37) and Paul Straker (55) got them off to a good start by racing to 82.

Barnes (1-25) made the breakthrough by having Hughes caught behind by Crichton, with Batey (0) falling almost immediately after as he was lbw to Cant (3-39).

Straker and Vickers (24) pushed them beyond the 100 mark but Straker’s time ended when caught by Cant off Lucas (3-41) and Vickers returned one to Renton (1-27) to put Alnmouth on 131-4.

Yet the hosts slowly ticked closer to the 200 mark with Charles Anderson (44no) leading the charge, aided with some good support from Johnny Ridley (14) and then Ian Clough (20).

However, Ridley missed one from Dagg (1-28) and Clough was lbw to Cant to allow Tynedale to crank the pressure up, Lucas seeing both Burnett and Brunton off for ducks to leave Alnmouth struggling to get past 200.

Tudor came in and was only able to put on a single before lbw to Cant, the home side unable to find the required 40 runs through the final pairing of Anderson and Denton (2no).

Tynedale II remain in the hunt for the Division B1 runners-up spot after their two wicket triumph over Alnmouth and Lesbury II.

Alnmouth ended their innings on 188-7, David Newton (3-43), Dorian Hiles (1-23), Matt Pugh (1-25) and Mark Clark (1-36) with the wickets with Euan Stephenson scoring a run out.

In a tense finish, Tynedale wrapped it up in the final over of the game with Richard Byerley (33no) seeing things off. He continued good work earlier in the order from Stephenson (34) and half century maker Newton (62).