STOCKTON and Northern District Cricket Club started Round 13 started with high hopes and at the halfway point of the round there is a club championship still on the line and semi final spots in three of the four grades.

In first grade at Bernie Curran Oval, skipper Nick Foster won the toss and elected to bowl after a delayed start.

University battled their way to 161 lead by a fine 75 from their skipper Andrew Harriot but the star of the show was Stockton youngster Jared Humphries who took an impressive 7 for 22 from 11.4 overs.

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In response the Seagulls lost a flurry of late wickets to be 5 for 72 with all to play for the coming weekend.

At Lynn Oval, the ladder leading second grade team continued to dominate all comers having claimed first innings points by the end of day one.

University batted first and were bundled out for 112 with quick Tyson Beatty snaring 5 for 29.

At the end of play the Seagulls finished 3 for 155 after Kye Zanardi’s run a ball 60 and a belligerent 52 not out from Alex McNeill.

Third grade started the day needing an outright victory to stand any chance of playing semi finals and by the end of the day they were still in the hunt as they claimed first innings points on the last ball of the day.

Batting first, Stockton & Northern Districts managed 150 from only 35 overs and University fell just short with 137.

At Corroba Oval, the Seagulls fourth grade had a tough time of things after being sent in to bat on a rain affected pitch, managing only 37 with University ending the day at 3 for 47.

Meanwhile, the Stockton & Northern Districts Cricket Club 2nd Grade team has won their second minor premiership in a row.

The minor premiership was sealed after the round 12 washout against Toronto Workers.

With the final day of one round still to play, second grade sit an unassailable 12 points ahead of second placed Waratah-Mayfield.

The team, led for the second year by captain Lincoln Melmeth, features a wealth of first grade experience and has been dominant this season.

Kye Zanardi (382 runs at 54.57) and Laurence Kelly (330 runs at 55) have shown their class with the bat and Brodie Cox (28 wickets at 10.39) has once again shown why he is considered the best bowler in the second grade competition by many.