Struggling Seaton Carew need to turn the form book upside down in the second half of the fixture programme if they are to spend another season in the Premier Division which they battled so hard for so long to gain a place two years ago.

After suffering their ninth defeat in 11 games they are adrift by 50 points from the team above them and looking at relegation.

Norton became the second of the bottom half dozen teams, also scrapping for survival, to beat them and with lowly Redcar winning again and Normanby Hall and Marton, who are still looking for consistency, also picking up crucial points, Seaton’s season is facing serious examination.

Norton’s Craig Symington returned after missing a couple of games to play an important part in bowling them out for 50 runs, yet another in a series of batting collapses they have suffered this season.

He took seven wickets for 22 in a brilliant ten over spell which included four maidens. Andy Parr (2-18) completed the rout in his 3.5 overs.

Seaton’s batting nosedived dramatically when, at 32 for 4, they lost their next five wickets for six runs. Danny Evans was their top scorer with 16. Norton, who had previously suffered five defeats themselves, batted with a fresh determination to reach 194-6 with Harry Linton (80 not out) leading the way.

Five of the day’s games were badly affected by rain, among them Darlington’s visit to Middlesbrough’s Acklam Park which saw their innings restricted to 32 overs, meaning vital points were lost in their bid to retain the championship. James Sutton (55 from 82 balls with six boundaries) and Liam Coates (42 not out from 73 balls) were thwarted so their reply to Boro’s 264-5 was an out-of-sorts 115-2.

Their lack of runs meant they could only collect three points with Boro’s share in the draw being 14. But Omar Shahid (74 not out), Adil Ditta (64), Steve Reeves (44) and James Lowe (43) had got the better of Doug Mulholland (2-74) and Coates (2-64), the league’s top wicket takers.

Although they came close to losing for a second successive week, Richmondshire retained their

position as league leaders and even extended it by four points to eight as Barnard Castle moved back

into second place.

The Dalesmen came up for the first time against their former professional Shani Dissanayake, who switched in the close season to Hartlepool. His 17 overs brought him four wickets and along with his new skipper Mike Yuill (5-40 from 16) had Richmond on the brink at 137-9, in reply to Pool’s 177-9.

Once Gary Pratt (56) and Mike Fleming (41) were out, the home side struggled but survived for a draw and eight points.

Barney kept their title hopes alive by stopping their Stokesley from springing too many surprises after the Weighell brothers had looked like dealing their side a winning hand.

James smashed 82 from 43 balls with 66 in boundaries, Jonny hit a more leisurely 67 with six fours and four sixes and Andrew reached the boundary five times in 39 as the team totalled 264-8. James Finch still impressed with five wickets in a 17-over 63 run spell.

The Castle’s positive reply took them to 109-3, with Simon Tennant top scoring on 48, but even on 182-7 with four overs remaining they didn’t put up the shutters, continuing to attack with Ben Usher making an unbeaten 24 and Jack Robinson hitting two mighty sixes to finish with 212-7.

Another dazzling century from Saeed Bin Nasir, his third of the season, carried Marske to their first victory in 11 seasons against Great Ayton.

Nasir made an unbeaten 104 from 91 balls with 14 fours as his side reached 186 to win by eight wickets with 11 balls remaining. Lee Hodgson (46) shared in a stand worth 123 as the Seasiders were left 32 overs compared to Ayton’s 45 in which Lewis Harper hit 40 and stand-in keeper Henry Shelton impressed with an undefeated 29.

Usman Arshad hit a run-a-ball 88 as Redcar produced the surprise of the day in beating Guisborough (164-9) by seven wickets, while there was little to choose between Normanby Hall (167-8) and Marton (128-4) in a match restricted to 66 overs, a third fewer than normal, due to the rain.