NYSD League

THE SCENE is set for a clash that could decide the course of the rest of the Darlington Building Society NYSD Premier League season as leaders Hartlepool take on champions Middlesbrough tomorrow.

Pool flew out of the blocks with three straight wins – the first time for years they have strung such a series of results together – but came a cropper on Monday at Fountains Garth when failing to chase down a modest Guisborough score.

They now hold a slender fivepoint lead over the fifth-placed champions who look to be gathering themselves after a slow start to the season during which their attack has conceded heavily at Acklam Park. On this occasion the beautiful setting of Park Drive should provide the perfect backdrop to a great struggle.

Hartlepool have Chris Fawcett back in the side. The youngster has made a good start to the season but missed the bank holiday reverse. And the team is further bolstered by the return of Ian Jackson, who will be making his seasonal debut after missing the first few weeks through work commitments.

For Boro it’s a double weekend as they take in Blackhall on Sunday in a re-arranged fixture. The news on Yassir Shah is that there is no news – he won’t be here in time for this weekend but Liam Botham is recovered from injury and plays, while Kyle Coetzer is available.

Guisborough sit just a solitary point behind the joint leaders and with confidence boosted by Monday’s result they travel to Mandale Bottoms to take on a Thornaby side who have lost three consecutive matches after an opening day win. The home club welcome Ian Macdonald back to the team, but are still no nearer knowing when Pakistani pro Khurram Shehzad will arrive in the country.

The Priorymen are able to draft Ryan Murray back into their squad with Jonathon Coates retaining his place after performing well last weekend.

Normanby Hall are in nosebleed territory, the Cricket Lane outfit inspired into joint top spot by the Test nous and ability of Paul Wiseman. Hall travel with an unchanged team to Windy Hill Lane to take on Marske who have Ben Walker and Jon Pickard drafted in to replace the holidaying Gary Lynch and working Col Haslett.

Unbeaten Marton are neatly tucked in just four points behind the leading trio, and they have a chance to improve further when they entertain bottom club Billingham. Yorkshire’s Lee Hodgson is expected to play for the home side following recovery from an achilles injury, but the Synners are still uncertain as to when Sri Lankan Nisal Randika will arrive. Skipper Dave Fairley is away on holiday, but Danny Nowell is back.

Darlington have still to record their first win but have a home game with Bishop Auckland to rectify that. Quakers skipper Garry Moody has made the unusual decision to stand down for the weekend and spectate, thus accommodating the return of Liam Coates who made a successful debut for the Durham Academy last week. Danny Morgans also steps up.

Bishops will hand a debut to new signing Graeme Wrightson.

The former Hartlepool and Guisborough stumper has just been transferred from Thirsk and will allow Paul Furby to retire gracefully for the second time in his career. Ben Usher also returns to put Bishops at full strength.

In the other games unchanged Great Ayton entertain Blackhall who have Stuart Lobb back in the starting line-up after recovery from injury, and Richmondshire welcome Shani Dissanayake home, the Sri Lankan now in possession of his visa. He should turn out against visitors Northallerton who bring in Dave Wake and John Robinson.

Last Saturday Thornaby not only lost for a second time, but were dismissed for a miserable 45 runs as Blackhall’s spin bowler, Masood Mirza, exploited the pitch at Mandale Bottoms to collect six wickets in 12 overs for 12 runs.

With Mirza joined by Farrukh Iqbal (2-18) and Jack Ward (2-15) Thornaby’s innings lasted just 36 overs and the whole game was over in less than three hours. The former Colliery club needed just ten overs to complete a tenwicket triumph.

It needed a sixth wicket partnership of 116 between David Cross (75 not out) and Nasar Hussain (41) to rally the cause for Normanby Hall, who recovered from the loss of five wickets for 46 runs to reach 169-7 against Billingham. When Synners were bowled out for just 98, new professional, Gary Scott (5-34) and Keith Martin (4-31) had them in trouble on 49 for 5, but there was no repeat escape.

Hartlepool underlined their new found power with an exciting six wicket win over Great Ayton. Both their professionals, Janaka Gunaratne (5-55 from 21 overs) and Marc Symington (44) played important parts, but the final run chase between John Cannon (50 not out) and Steven Purcifer (28 not out), who scored 72 for an unbroken fifth wicket stand, clinched the victory.

Middlesbrough were held for a second successive week, frustrated by Darlington who took few chances in reaching 152-8 in reply to Boro’s 195-8.

Simon Guy top scored with 45 and 16-year-old James Dobson with 35 showed great tenacity as Quakers lost four wickets in six overs late in the game.

The season’s first centuries were the features of the games at Marske and Marton. Steve Chapman, with an unbeaten 151 from 138 balls including 20 fours and a six, shared in an opening stand of 176 with Neil Pratt (62) for the Seasiders, who were just 11 runs short of 300 against Bishop Auckland, while Rashmi Parida (118 not out with 58 in boundaries) kept Northallerton in the game with Marton.

Guisborough’s Tariq Aziz missed out on a century by eight runs at Richmond but set up a six wicket win by sharing a stand of 134 with Graham Murray (61 not out).

Monday produced the first wins of the season for Marton, Northallerton and Great Ayton as the cool and showery conditions led to a series of low scoring matches.

Marton had a nerve-jangler with Bishop Auckland. After dismissing their hosts for just 97, Marton just scraped across the finishing line with a single wicket standing.

Northallerton possibly feared the worst after being dismissed for 118 by Darlington, but the Quakers crumbled to 79 all out.

Hartlepool, after three successive wins, crashed to a 33 run defeat at Guisborough where the Priorymen’s meagre total of 110 was more than enough.

Normanby Hall drew level at the top with a 55-run win over Blackhall. The hosts were bowled out for 78.

There were almost 500 runs at Acklam Park where Boro successfully chased a target of 238 for a five-wicket success over Richmond .

In Division One, Barnard Castle edged into second ahead of Stokesley after getting the better of a draw on their rivals’ ground.