CORBRIDGE ended with a final day defeat, but will be happy with how strongly they finished the campaign.

With the threat of relegation a real possibility a few months ago, a great run of results pushed them away from the drop zone and they finished in comfortably in eighth place.

They made the trip north to Berwick to bring the season to a close, going down by 26 runs in an entertaining game.

Berwick captain Steven Emery won the toss and elected to bat first, but received an early setback as Russell Perry claimed the wicket of Sean Wales.

But opener Scott Middlemist was in top form and guided his team towards a 200 plus innings, hitting 13 fours and a six on his way to a top score of 83.

He and Nalinda Premchandra steadied the ship after Wales’ early departure, but the latter returned one to bowler Dean Robinson to end that pairing.

Robinson struck again when he had James Patterson trapped lbw, with Jack Garrett getting in on the act by bowling Gregor Thompson.

Garrett was to get another wicket, but not before Corbridge captain Andrew Dover (pictured) caused damage to the torder with some brilliant bowling.

Not only did he remove both Mason and Steven Emery for ducks, he had danger man Middlemist stumped by stand-in keeper Marcus Sewell. He finished with four wickets, clean bowling Glen Bird.

Martin Hush and Liam Thompson remained at the crease as the 50 overs ran dry, Corbridge needing 216 runs for the victory.

Without the fire power of Ross Atkinson and Chris Fowler, Corbridge made a steady start to their reply through openers Dave Smurthwaite and Dave Cox.

However, both fell to the impressive Premchandra, Cox the first to fall as he returned one to the bowler and Smurthwaite clean bowled. In between, Perry was adjudged leg before to a Steven Emery delivery.

There were solid knocks from Steve Kent, Sewell and Garrett to tick the scoreboard on, but Corbridge were below the run rate.

But a well made half century from Dean Robinson put them back in with a shout, helped along by good knocks from Dover and his 11-year-old son Corey who was very solid at the crease as his unbeaten 17 consisted three fours.

Robinson was timing his swing well and made three fours and the same number of sixes, but he finally departed when caught by Middlemist off the bowling of Wales.

Corbridge picked up eight points from the encounter which moved them a further three ahead of ninth placed Blue Flames, but 21 further off seventh placed Gateshead Ethnic Minorities who enjoyed a big 136 run victory over Flames.