THE district’s sports teams endured another frustrating weekend of heavy rain.

All cricket matches in the West Tyne League were cancelled, while no fixtures involving local sides went ahead in the Northumberland and Tyneside League.

Hopes were high that some games would beat the weather, with some clubs working hard until the last possible minute to keep pitches dry and playable.

The start of the football season was also something of a damp squib.

All five of the district’s teams in the Northern Alliance were looking forward to the big kick off, no more so than Haltwhistle Jubilee, who have made a triumphant return to the Alliance after almost two decades.

The South Tynedale outfit were all set to take on Stobswood Welfare, a repeat of the opening day fixture back in 1983, when Haltwhistle last entered the Alliance.

But a waterlogged pitch at the Burn forced a frustrating postponement for last season’s Tyneside Amateur League champions.

Nevertheless, two of the district’s football teams were involved with high-scoring matches.

In Northern Alliance Division One, Hexham won 3-0 away to Hebburn Town U23, while Prudhoe travelled to Bedlington, and shared the points in a 3-3 draw.

l Football: Pages 78 and 79.