PONTELAND's Friendly side handled the blustery conditions better and recorded a comfortable home victory.

Having arrived at the ground on Sunday morning for what was expected to be the formality of cancellation, due to heavy rain on Saturday, it was an unexpected surprise to find the ground already on the verge of playable by 10am so the match was given the go-ahead for a 2.30pm start.

Winning the toss, skipper Neil Pinnock had no hesitation in asking Victorians to bat first and Andrew Cruikshank produced an excellent opening spell to take 1-18 off his eight overs.

A steady partnership of 45 followed before Ben Lott (2-29), making his senior debut, collected two wickets in his second spell of four overs including opener Bradshaw, caught by Andy Denyer for 31, and an excellent catch by James Ottaway to dismiss Asif for 26.

Then a careless run-out followed from Jonny Furness' accurate throw to reduce the innings to 105-6.

A further stand of 40 followed before Denyer (1-27) tempted Tahseen down the wicket and he was stumped for 41 by Tom Common and the following ball a mix-up between the batsmen saw Lott's throw create a second run out.

The visitors' innings finished on 150-7 off 40 overs.

In reply, the new opening partnership of Dan Wright and Chris Morgan put on 32 before Morgan was dropped, but then run-out off the same delivery.

Common (12) was next to go having advanced the score onto 61 until he aimed a huge shot down the ground and was bowled.

Ottaway (18) hit four fours in his innings before also being bowled with the score on 108.

The constant in the innings was 16-year-old Wright who batted patiently and was on 49 when Ottaway was dismissed.

He scored three off the next ball he faced to reach his first senior 50 for the club off 75 balls.

Having reached his 50 he only faced two more balls as Neil Pinnock took over and scored a blistering 40 not out off just 18 balls to dominate a partnership of 45 and Pinnock won the game off the penultimate ball of the 29th over with his sixth four.

Wright finished on 53 not out as Ponteland were victorious by seven wickets.

Ashington III v Ponteland III

THE Midweek side won a crucial league match at Ashington off the final ball to boost their hopes of being in the top half when it splits.

Both teams started the game in joint sixth, three games away from the division of the league into the top six and bottom six for the remaining fixtures.

Ashington batted first and started quickly, reaching 60 by the tenth over despite a wicket each for Andy Cruikshank and Ashley Parker, well caught by keeper Chris Morgan and Peter Nesbitt at mid-wicket respectively.

Further wickets fell to Nesbitt (1-17) and Robert Hall, as the innings lost momentum in the face of some solid fielding, and it reached 81-5 at the end of the 16th over.