SURPRISE opening day winners Thornaby get their home programme under way tomorrow with a mouth-watering fixture against Hartlepool.

Pools also have a win under their belts and expect to have a stronger team out for the trip to Mandale Bottoms. Mike Gough, who will miss much of the season due to his first-class umpiring commitments, is available for this one and new Sri Lankan pro Janaka Gunaratne should be in the country and ready to make his debut.

Thornaby are still ploughing through the paperwork jungle to get their overseas man here, but they are strengthened by the return of regular first-teamers Chris Metcalfe and Ian Macdonald.

Skipper Matt Dex could possibly play as well, although Leigh Beaumont is primed to lead the team again.

Guisborough and Darlington could both have won or lost their first games, but in the end they had to be satisfied with draws. There is the chance to get off the mark this weekend as the pair clash at Fountains Garth. Both make just one change, second team skipper Simon Whitehead stepping in to replace James Sutton for the Quakers, and veteran glove man Gary Veazey taking over from Jon Hatfield in the Priorymen’s line-up.

Great Ayton are unchanged for the visit of Richmondshire to Leven Park, although the Dalesmen will be without Mark Lockey, who is getting married, and Chris Layfield, who injured an ankle during a marathon bowling stint on Saturday. Clive Layfield is one of the new faces, and the other slot is being held open in the hope Shani Dissanayake arrives in time.

Northallerton pro Teddy Parida now has his visa and will play in the home game with Marske, but Richard Chandler, Andrew Fishburn and Matthew Fishburn are indisposed, with Richard Bartram brought in.

The Seasiders make one change – Jon Pickard is away and Gary Lynch plays.

One of the major shocks last week was the appearance of Paul Furby for the Bishops – his presence behind the sticks for the first time in several years lifting his bowlers’ performance as they tried to knock him over!

But it worked, and the Kingsway outfit will wheel him out again after a quick spray with WD40.

Ben Usher and Richard Arnott are missing for the home game against Normanby Hall, who expect to be unchanged.

Blackhall will still be without both their pros as they entertain Billingham Synthonia. Phil Bell and Andy Raine are also missing as Gary Lavery and Anthony Darby are handed opportunities.

There is a derby game to savour at Acklam Park, where Middlesbrough entertain Marton.

The Boro played a formidable tune last week, even without either of their pros – the appearance of either Yasir Shah or Kyle Coetzer for their seasonal debuts is assessed at about 50/50.

For Marton, Tom Chadwick is finishing his hockey season, with the effervescent Gary Knight taking his place.

League champions Middlesbrough were among five teams to win last weekend, and they looked pretty invincible at Marske. They hit the day’s highest score as they reached 226-5, with James Beaumont hitting a half century and then taking four wickets. Paul Johnston (51 with ten fours from 78 balls) got the Boro innings off to a stunning start.

In reply, Marske lost their first six wickets for just 62 before Chris Shepherd (32) and Jonathan Pickard (22) shared in a partnership of 48. But, once their brave rescue attempt ended, the Seasiders’ tail was swept away and they crumbled to an all out score of 137.

Newly-promoted Thornaby made a dramatic return to the senior division as they celebrated with a four-wicket victory at Richmond after one of the best run chases of the opening day.

Set to score 192, Neil Coverdale (76) and the relatively unknown James Roberts (59), shared in a third-wicket stand of 148 to swing the game away from the grasp of Richmondshire.

Coverdale rode his luck, surviving three chances in hitting 11 fours and a six, while Roberts, with seven boundaries, was remarkably assured in making his maiden half-century.

The pair had come together with Thornaby in trouble on 19 for two after Chris Layfield (4-57 from 19 overs) made the early breakthrough.

Opener James Clarkson was Richmondshire’s batting star with 82, including 13 boundaries, as they reached 191-8 despite Leigh Beaumont bowling unchanged to grab four wickets.

Andrew Emmerson (3-49) shared the Thornaby bowling honours.

The most exceptional batting display by two tail-enders was at Darlington, where Great Ayton were facing a crushing defeat when last man Ian West joined Henry Shelton at the crease with 15 overs left. The pair showed the straightest of bats to fend off all the Quakers’ bowlers could muster.

Doug Mulholland (4-81 from 25 overs) and James Sutton (3- 24 from seven) tried their best to oust them, but Ayton survived for a drawn finish on 155- 9, the value of the last-wicket defiance being demonstrated by the five additional points gained by the Aytonians.

The game also featured the day’s outstanding bowling feat – eight wickets for Ayton pro Riaz Afridi in a 24-over spell of real pace. Even so, Dan Hodgson (37) and Mark Stainsby (34) shared an opening stand worth 55 to set the Quakers on the way to 171, with Afridi finishing on 8-87.

Normanby Hall, who struggled in the bottom three for much of last season, got off to a flyer when they knocked over Northallerton. New Town skipper Jon Barnes (62 not out and 4-50 from 24 overs) was in great form, but it was too much of a one-man show to overcome the newly revitalised opponents, for whom Durham all-rounder Paul Wiseman made an impressive debut.

He featured in a 125-ball innings of 62, which included nine boundaries. Keith Martin enjoyed 21 overs to take five wickets for Normanby as he and Wiseman (3-54 in 18 overs of spin) proved a formidable combination, Hall winning by two wickets with just eight balls remaining.

Billingham made a poor start when they were savaged by Bishop Auckland on their own patch. Bishops made 188-6, with Gary Pratt hitting 45 and sharing the honours with newcomer Phil Holdsworth (42).

Synners were bowled out for just 109, with Pratt (3-14) and Ian Grainger (3-33) causing the damage.

Hartlepool gained the bragging rights in the derby with Blackhall as Mark Symington (5-44), Ian Palmer (5-52), Alan Tebbett (72 not out) and Chris Fawcett (53) proved a fabulous foursome. Owen Gwyn got 65 of the Colliers’ 157, but Pool knocked off the runs for the loss of just four wickets.

Marton took on a stretching target against Guisborough and just failed by 12 runs in a pulsating finish which saw boundaries galore.

Chris Lane (48) set the pace, with Mohammed Zahid (three fours and a six) and Chris Veasey (four fours and a six) unfortunate to lose their potential winning partner, John Glendenen, who was run out just as he broke loose.

Earlier, Martin Hood hit 49 on his return to his old club, but Neil Russell, the Priory professional, was the real star with an unbeaten 85, including 52 in boundaries, in 42 overs at the crease. Guisborough made 185- 7 and Marton got one less bonus point as they finished on 174-7.

In division one, last season’s championship runners-up, Barnard Castle, made a winning start, as did Seaton Carew and Stokesley, with the other two fancied sides for a promotion challenge, Redcar and Saltburn, playing out a bracing seaside derby draw.