MARTON beat the weather which knocked out the rest of the day’s matches, but they couldn’t spring the surprise they wanted – a 25 point win – which would have given them the chance to recharge hopes of a top six place.

Mid-table opponents, Hartlepool, were thwarted, too, missing out for an extra point from the last ball of a game which was reduced to 65 overs after much of the first four hours was lost to the rain.

The drawn finish, with Pool taking 11 points and Marton ten, frustrated both - but there were never enough overs available to get any other result. It was extraordinary that the game, interrupted by heavy rain after 17 overs, resumed as other premier matches as far spread as Richmond and Saltburn were called off early in the afternoon.

In a couple of them extra points over and above the statutory half dozen for an abandonment were gained, including one more for Darlington, who now lead by 12 points over Richmondshire and 15 from Stokesley.

This came when Jon Barnes grabbed the two wickets he needed to become the first this season to celebrate having 50 victims to his name.

They were at Redcar, who scored 56 runs from the 16 overs possible before the call off.

Richmondshire missed out on an extra point by three runs as they batted first against visitors, Great Ayton.

They were 97 for 4 after 23 overs with Gary Pratt (33) climbing into third place among the season’s top run makers. He now has 624 in the league alone. Fourth-placed Ayton were more than holding their own when the rain left standing water in the outfield.

With their four-wicket haul, the villagers grabbed two extra points to take them closer to their in-form neighbours, Stokesley, who managed only 11 overs at Guisborough.

Andrew Weighell, with an unbeaten 26, moved to within 47 of becoming the sixth in the league to reach 500. His side made 37-0.

Barnard Castle’s Aussie amateur Ben Turner pipped him to reach the milestone when they made 81-1 from 27 overs against Sedgefield.

He was unbeaten on 33 and Aamer Sajjad was also going strong on 28 when the game was called off.

Marske’s newly-signed allrounder Gary Wright was making a big impression in only his second game since leaving Saltburn, taking three wickets in six overs for 37 runs against Seaton Carew in the hour’s play possible.

Seaton reached 65 for 4 in the 19 overs. His old club were entertaining Middlesbrough and had taken a wicket in conceding 35 runs before the rain.

Marton were in bother on 67 for 6 against Pool when their game was initially hit by the heaviest of downpours but they finished, after their long delay and from a further 28 overs, on 147 all out.

New professional Umega Chaturanga rescued the side with a timely half century while John Leadbitter also played a notable part, sharing a stand of 51 for the seventh wicket with the SriLankan.

Umega scored his 56 from 67 balls with seven fours and a six. Leadbitter continued the fightback with four boundaries in his 34 runs.

In the early play, Marton lost both their opening batsmen for three, and their first five for only 28, to an inspired spell of pace bowling by Callum Prosser (4-22 from nine overs). His final analysis (5- 50 from 17 overs) was among his best.

Pool held eight catches, including a skier from 15-yearold Faz Hussain, who batted with real style before being last out for 16, the third highest score, ending a last wicket stand worth 20 runs.

Restricted to 20 overs, Pool needed two runs from the last ball to get to 100 for one additional point but it was Marton, by taking a fourth wicket with that same ball, who grabbed the final bonus.