WITH the pressure cranked up, Stocksfield stayed calm as they shot them to the top of the table.

With 10-man Morpeth in control with 10 overs remaining, great bowling at the death from Rob Thirlwell (5-31) earned them the victory which moved them one point ahead of Benwell & Walbottle.

Previous leaders Benwell picked up just two points as they crashed to 91 all out at Newcastle City, while Cowgate and Ryton tied to allow Stocksfield to go ahead.

From 170-3, Morpeth were bowled all out for 184 with teenager Thirlwell keeping things extremely tight as he ended with five wickets.

Stocksfield chose to bat first and were off to a storming start through Steven Henderson (39) and Matthew Bewick (37) who carried on his good form with the bat as he made the step back up into the first team.

Having put on 70 without loss, they were cruising until Bewick was caught by Doug Turnbull off James Craigs (4-33). Two overs later and Henderson followed him into the pavilion, caught by Callum Lawn off Stefan Thomson.

Yet Ben Archer (48) and Sam Mannion (30) continued the early work to gear Stocksfield beyond double figures by forming an accomplished partnership.

Mannion was unfortunate to be caught to Flook (4-41), but Chris Patterson (13) kept things ticking along nicely until he too was caught off a Flook delivery.

Archer was next to go as he was unable to make his half ton, caught by Craigs off Lawn (1-52), and Sam Beedle’s dismissal to Craigs after a quickfire 33 brought about a collapse in the Stocksfield innings.

Dan Whiley, Andrew Wood, Emerson Brown and Ben Hutton were all unable to score as they slumped to 211 all out, leaving Thirlwell (5) stranded at the other end.

Morpeth were in trouble when Brown (1-39) had Turnbull caught behind by Whiley for a duck, while Hutton (1-35) also struck early to dismiss Rick Jones (9).

But opener Callum Urwin (61) and Craigs (65) combined to put Morpeth in contention as they sent the team to 150-2 with 20 overs spare.

The capture of Urwin, caught by Mannion off Wood (1-37), proved pivotal especially as Craigs went to a catch from Patterson off Thirlwell two overs later.

With Thirlwell turning the screw, Morpeth quickly surrendered from 170 as Thirlwell ended with the wickets of Thomson (23), Sam Bethell (0), Adam Lawn (6) and Flook (0), with Archer scoring a run out of Callum Lawn (2) as Stocksfield jumped to the summit.

Captain Chris Catnach (100 and 4-18) was in scorching form as he helped Stocksfield III to an emphatic 138 run triumph over Morpeth II.

It was a high scoring day for the Tyne Valley side, Catnach’s century going along with contributions from fellow opener Trevor Walker (65), David Tyrrell (54) and Perry Hall (25no) as they posted 259-4.

Morpeth were all out for 121, the imperious Catnach joined in the wickets by Matt Scandle (2-30), Thomas Urwin (1-36), Hall (1-22) and Sean Trott (1-0) with his only delivery of the afternoon.