GOING down to the last ball, Wark held their nerve to edge their way to victory over high flying Mitford II .

In a tense finale, captain Paul Armstrong and Phil Suckling stuck to the task to find the required runs and earn the victory with six wickets in hand.

Mitford were asked to bat first and they were boosted by a great partnership between Bharat Patel and Michael Botha. But Wark produced some good deliveries with Armstrong, Baty and Greg McConnell returning good figures.

Jim Lamb and McConnell got Wark off to a good start, but it was the fifth wicket pairing of Armstrong and Suckling which saw the North Tyne side home.

Stocksfield IV came close to causing an upset against South Northumberland 1864 but lost by just one wicket.

Batting first, a half century from Neil Pankhurst helped Stocksfield post 117 but they lost their final five wickets for just nine runs.

Stocksfield had their title chasing guests in trouble with Luke Masters, Sam Douglas and Aaron Rourke getting wickets, but a solid finish to proceedings saw North scrape over the line with time running out.

Stocksfield recovered to canter to a thumping nine wicket triumph over Allendale II , largely down to an excellent innings from David Tyrrell alongside Elliott Trott.

Tyrrell completed the victory with a big six as he and Trott found the winning runs in just 23 overs.

Allendale began well by exploiting the fast outfield but Stocksfield‘s bowlers controlled the game from then, Douglas passing 20 wickets for the season with more great bowling. Dave McCormick showed resistance with an unbeaten half ton, but Allendale’s total was unable to trouble Stocksfield.

Allendale tasted double defeat as they lost by eight wickets to Belsay the day before, half centuries from Jamie Brock and Chris Townson steering the hosts to victory.

Ten-man Allendale were bowled out with the final ball of the innings, their 131 boosted significantly by Snaith‘s 50.

Belsay’s opening pair found the boundary often as Brock hit four sixes and six fours and Townson seven sixes and five fours to end the game in the 14th.

A half century from Mullen was in vain for Humshaugh II as they lost by four wickets to Hexham Leazes II .

He was the only batsman to really contribute for the struggling visitors, the Leazes trio of father Rob and sons Tim and Toby Willis in the wickets.

A solid start from Tony Crosby and Rob Willis was aided later in the order by Tom Elliott as Leazes picked up maximum points.

Removing challengers Mitford for just 61, leaders Newcastle III underlined their title credentials.

As Scott Lawson was the only one to reach double figures for Mitford, largely down to a tight opening spell from Patrick MacMorran, Newcastle claimed all 12 points with opener Ali Poll guiding them over the line. Matthew Lees struck with two wickets but it wasn’t enough for Mitford.