Blue Flames won the title the hard way on a dramatic final day of SG Wealth Management Northumberland League action.

With just two points separating the top two sides before the start, there were numerous permutations of results in the heads of players in both camps.

But defending champions Alnmouth did what they needed to do by securing a maximum points return from their match at Blagdon Park.

Blue Flames set the SG Wealth Management Northumberland League title race alight as they scorched to a 156-run home win over Blagdon Park, while Alnmouth were frustrated by the weather in Berwick.

With the former top dogs forced to take just the five points for their abandoned match, the door was left ajar for the Flames, and they duly burst through with a performance that earned them a maximum return and the leadership of the league by two points with one match remaining.

All eyes were on Alnmouth as they took on the only challengers to their SG Wealth Management Northumberland League title on Saturday.

And visitors Blue Flames set up an enthralling end to the season when they rocked the champions on their own patch. Saleem Akhtar proved simply unplayable, sending down 11 overs and claiming 6-23, with Alnmouth routed for a paltry 63.

The target presented few problems to the Flames as they raged to an eight-wicket win in the 17th over.

Blue Flames keep burning, but with Alnmouth maintaining an even hotter pace their SG Wealth Management Northumberland League title hopes are quickly running out of oxygen.

Flames gave one of their best performances when they inflicted the first home defeat of the season on border boys Berwick. Stuart Laundy smacked 73 runs for the home team, and when he was together with Martyn Elliott (38) in a burgeoning second wicket stand, it looked like a big score was in prospect.

With Alnmouth edging ever closer to retention of the SG Wealth Management Northumberland League title, attention was focused on the opposite end of the table.

And Blagdon Park pulled off a 53-run home win over Berwick to move clear of the danger zone for the time being. Park's success was a real team effort with Russell Hughes (38) and Greg Senior (33) leading a posse of run scorers, who eased them up to a total of 192 for 8 in 40 overs.

Steve Oxley (4 for 49) then struck four early blows from which Berwick never really recovered - even though Sean Wales, with an undefeated half-century, tried to pull his team round.

Alnmouth can smell the SG Wealth Management Northumberland League title after blasting Bates Cottages by eight wickets to go 37 points clear of Blue Flames with just five games left to play.

Ross Symington and Mark Allan both scored clickety-click 66 for Bates.

But even though the Cottagers' total of 229 looked challenging, a second-wicket partnership of 163 between Tom Vickers and Robin Tudor eclipsed the visitors, the former smashing 139 in 126 balls.

Alnmouth continued on their merry way at the top of the SG Wealth Management Northumberland League, making light of a target of 199 against Stocksfield.

And their task would have been even more comfortable if it hadn't been for mid-order half centuries from the home team's Andy Wood and Adrian Harrison.

But the result was never in doubt as Ian Pearson (79no) anchored the run chase, and Robin Tudor (53) ensured their were no time issues brought into the equation, the leaders victorious with eight wickets to spare.

A football club has overturned an eviction notice on their home ground after a neighbouring farmer complained stray balls were ruining his crops.

Club chiefs at Guide Post Social Club FC, one of Northumberland's oldest Sunday League football clubs, claimed they were given just six weeks' notice to leave their pitch just off Morpeth Road.

Andy Thompson, 17, Guide Post Social Club FC's youngest player

Northumberland County Council say complaints had originally been lodged over people trespassing on the neighbouring plot of land to fetch footballs.

In the SG Wealth Management Northumberland League South East Northumberland derby, Bedlington held their nerve to defeat Bomarsund by just five runs.

A team effort saw the Bedlington innings just reach the 200 mark for the loss of seven wickets, and the Bedlington bowlers then restricted Bomarsund to 196-7 in a close finish.

With Alnmouth and Lesbury going down to a shock home defeat to Clara Vale, Berwick used the opportunity to blast themselves into the title race.

There were great celebrations at Bomarsund as the seemingly relegation-bound side picked up their first win of the season in the SG Wealth Management Northumberland League.

Andy French was the Bomar's batting star, hitting 10 sixes and a four in a breezy 67. With Craig Robinson adding 33, and a healthy dollop of 41 extras, the home team reached an imposing 234-8 in their 50 overs.

Paul Howey (10 fours in 76) and Mark Walton (seven fours in 39) then threatened to make it the same old story for the home side, but Ben Heatley's 10-over spell, in which he picked up 3-28, did the trick as Kirkley slid to 192 all out in the 47th over.