NE Premier League: Boatswain brilliance counts for nothing as rain denies intriguing finale to Sunderland's Burnopfield clash

The Ashbrooke team were dismissed for just 114 as Neil Killeen, with 3-41, and Alex Senior, returning an excellent 5-18, tore the home batting to shreds.

However, the visitors also struggled with their batting, slumping to 43-5, with Quinton Boatswain claiming an impressive haul of 4-15, before the weather had its say.

Burnopfield slipped to second place with the draw.

Washington had to settle for a ‘losing draw’ in their trip to lowly Blaydon.

Blaydon, put in to bat, were 40-4 as Washington began well, but Joseph Reynolds roused the hosts with eight fours and a six in a 60-ball 61.

He put on 52 for the seventh wicket with Jamie Wightman (34), who then added 77 for the eighth wickets alongside Sam Henderson (66 off 59 balls, with 11 fours and a six).

They were finally dismissed for 22 in 52.1 overs, with Graeme Race (3-49 in 15 overs) the top bowler. Colin Myers grabbed 2-22 and Ash Thorpe 2-59 in 14 overs, while Adam Hickey and Dan Easton also struck.

Washington only managed to get 28 of their allotted overs before the rain cut the game short, with the visitors 90-3.

Opener Michael Nunn hit 21 off 52 balls, while Hickey was 28 not out from 61 balls, with three boundaries, and Dan Woolston unbeaten on 12. Gary Stewart took 2-19 in 10 overs.

Burnmoor picked up nine points from their abandoned clash with Castle Eden, who pocketed seven despite being dismissed for 146 in 50.1 overs.

The visitors fell to 12-3 as Moor started positively, but a steadfast 72 from Keith Bailey, off 134 balls, with five fours and three sixes, inspired Castle Eden.

Saeed Bin Nasir added 19 off 41 balls and James O’Neill 17 off 26, with three home bowlers taking three wickets apiece.

Liam Dixon snatched 3-30, including the final wicket of Bailey, while Samiullah Khan had 3-41 and Craig Stephenson 3-21, plus a run-out.

Moor were bright with the bat, but their innings was cut short after 15.4 overs, on 79-3, 68 runs shy of victory.

Marc Symington top-scored with four boundaries in a 31-ball 24, backed by Craig Symington (19no, with three fours), Ross Hodgson (13) and Allan Worthy (12).Key man Bailey took 2-30 for Castle Eden.

South Shields clung on for a draw at high-flying Brandon, with just a wicket to spare, when the end came.

Brandon were in a rush after choosing to bat, in recognition of the weather forecast, and they piled up 203-2 declared in 26 overs.

Openers Karl Turner (33, with eight fours) and Chris Peareth (16) put on 52 for the first wicket, before Gordon Muchall (79 not out off 57 balls, with eight fours and five sixes) and Stephen Humble, who blasted 11 fours and a six in a 56-ball 61no, added 140 in an unbroken third-wicket partnership. Ryan Hale grabbed 2-41 for Shields.

The Wood Terrace were in big trouble at 11-3, but Rupesh Borade’s 17 off 29 balls, with four sixes, Oliver Stedman (15) and Chris Dorothy (29 off 44 balls, with three fours and two sixes) showed plenty of character.

Four wickets fell for no runs just before the deluge, with Shields surviving on 82-9 from 26.4 overs.

Karl Turner plundered 4-29 in vain, backed by Humble (3-25) and Jordan Grosert (2-23) as Brandon returned to pole position, despite being held to a draw.

Gateshead Fell were struggling on 86-6 in their reply when their clash with third-top Willington was abandoned.

The home side found life tough as Willington batted well, with the top six all making runs in a knock of 205 all out in 48 overs.

Jake Louth (51) fired the only half-century, with four fours and two sixes, off 64 balls.

Gerasimos Fatouros added 40 off 35 balls, with six fours and a six, while Jason Marshall made 32 and fellow opener Joe Emanuel 27, with four fours and a six.

Matthew Willis grabbed 3-27 for Fell, with Andrew Porter taking 3-75 and David Daley 2-37.

Fell were probably glad of the rain, which came after 24 overs of their response, with six wickets down.Robert Stacey had three fours in a top-scoring 20, with Malik Javed 15 not out and Michael Dicks making 14.

Connor Hodgson weighed in with 4-30 in his 12 overs for Willington, with James Stock grabbing 2-29.