LAST season's champions Stocksfield bounced back from successive defeats to inflict a first loss on leaders Allendale .

A good all-round display saw them comfortable victors in the end, Allendale unable to hit their heights of the opening weeks with just 10 men at their disposal.

Stocksfield skipper Ali Thirlwell put his team into bat after winning the toss, and they got off to a flyer courtesy of openers Jonny Tobin and Adrian Marrison.

Tobin, who has been playing for the first team this season, was particularly on song as he made his half century with the inclusion of seven fours.

Chris Patterson continued to good work early on when Marrison departed, but Allendale's bowlers soon got on top to make things tricky.

Ross Laidlaw finished with four wickets and the in-form Geoff Sparke three as scoring became difficult for the rest of the order.

With Chris Scandle and Perry Hall both missing, Stocksfield turned to Patterson and Mark Jacobs to open the bowling, and they bowled tight spells even if Allendale got off to a steady start.

The key moment of the innings came when teenager Paul Brown used his spin to account for the dangerous Tim Raglan, which was followed up by the visitors' main man Laidlaw as the youngster turned up the heat.

It was over to captain Thirlwell to clean up and four wickets at the expense of just four runs earned Stocksfield the vital victory.

Haltwhistle weren't able to keep the pressure on at the top as they went down to Hexham Leazes .

While Haltwhistle were without key men Dan Kirkup, Dan Parker and Reece Thirtle, they were still able to field a strong team for the match-up.

However, it was a partnership of 86 between Billy Kingman and captain Dan Toward which proved the match-winning combination for Leazes.

Haltwhistle chose to bat first and were off to a blistering start as openers Joe Barber and Micky Armstrong took them to 33 from four overs.

But some quick wickets, including the dangerous Mark Rowell for a first ball duck, put Hexham in control.

Yet Haltwhistle's order formed strong partnerships down the line, the experience of Graeme Lee, Phil Thompson and Michael Parker making sure they got past the 200 mark.

With Ben Thompson pulling his calf again, he was reluctant to bat and Leazes suffered further setbacks with Andrew Whitaker going for a duck and Raji Kingman going soon after with the score on 5-2.

Andrew Webster and Stephen Donnison then went, with Hexham in trouble on 50-4.

But the coming together of Billy Kingman and Toward put Leazes on the right path, the former in great form to pass his half century.

With the total in sight, Alex Brown came in and hit some well placed boundaries to wrap up the victory with an over-and-a-half remaining.

With Kelly Withycombe stealing the show with six wickets and 19-year-old debutant Ben Brown hitting 50, Matfen Hall returned to winning ways with victory over Wylam .

Brown, who has returned to live in the area after university, impressed to help his new team to the 64 run victory.

Matfen opened the batting with Will O'Brien staring well, moving quickly to 17 after the early dismissal of Mark Irving.

Good opening spells from Wyalm's Kevin Marshall and Tony Parker kept a lid on the scoring, but Alex Tait and Max Stephens soon got the upper hand by adding 69 in 12 overs.

With seven fours, Tait went on to reach his 50 which was matched when Brown came in at number five to finish on exactly 50 with a six and five fours on his league debut.

Ted Monroe kept the momentum going towards the end of the innings, with veteran Marshall and the young Liam Thackray impressing with the ball for Wylam.

Aaron Tiffin got Matfen off to a great start as Wylam replied, clean bowling Neil Wells in the opening over.

It was then the Withycombe show as she took six wickets, with three caught behind by Alex Pearse. She claimed the big wicket of opener Rob Bergstrand who batted well for 32.

Chris Harrison and Parker put on a rapid 50 for the eighth wicket before Tiffin bowled Parker, and 15-year-old debutant Sam Brown finished things off with a good throw to run out the Andrew Purdie.

South Northumberland 1864 recovered from a disastrous start to defeat Benwell Hill III .

Losing openers Tristan Meears White and Eashan Ragbir, both to Salar Butt, with the score on eight, Benwell's score of 106 may have looked out of reach.

But a 70 run third wicket stand between Keshav Krishnan and Ben Sidney Wilmot got the innings up-and-running.

David Harbottle replaced the latter when caught by Saeem Korum, helping Krishnan find the required runs in the 33rd over.

South North's bowlers made things difficult for the Hill batsmen, Will Fishley and Harbottle posting economical figures.

David Ladd, Harry Reeves and Butt batted well against some good bowling, with Jeff Mason showing some late resistance.

However, Maniram Ragbir turned the screw for North and his four wickets restricted their rivals to 106.

Newton continued their winning form by defeating winless Newcastle III by five wickets, overhauling their total of 119.

There was disappointment for Haydon Bridge as they were unable to find enough players to field a team for their trip to Humshaugh .