Magpies fly top of NDCA ladder after beating City in one-versus-two battle

Bailey (3-41) and Chillingworth (3-28) rose to the occasion to help dismiss the visitors for 176 at Kahibah Oval on Saturday, 78 runs shy of the Magpies' 254 from last weekend.

Charlestown (56 points) now sit one clear of City (55) on the overall standings while a victorious Stockton (54) also stay in the minor-premiership race with three rounds remaining in the regular season.

"Bails and Chil, head and shoulders above best players on the field Saturday. Games like that need you need your senior players to stand up and they did that," Arms told the Newcastle Herald.

Resuming at 0-9 on day two of the round-10 encounter, City reached 1-65 before Oli Carter (29), Nick Walker (12) and Harry Scowen (45) all fell before 100. Mitch Nesbitt (6), Dubs Wood (7) and Danial Ibrahim (22) followed suit leaving the visitors 7-131.

Alex Sylow (18) and Cal Fowler (21) mounted a 40-run stand but ultimately the Sabres lost 3-5 to finish their innings.

"Any sort of time there was a partnership, we just wrestled it back. It was a grind. We took maybe 4-50 between lunch and tea," Arms said.

Path Shah (3-40) and Isaac Wallace (1-37) also took wickets while Ahmadullah Fazli was "crook" and didn't bowl, replaced in the field by Adam Winchester.

"Makes it an even bigger effort from our bowlers," Arms said.

Stockton skipper Nick Foster (6-47) was the pick of the bowlers at Lynn Oval on Saturday, the Seagulls edging closer to the competition frontrunners after keeping Waratah-Mayfield at bay.

Both defending totals, Wallsend (47) beat Belmont and Cardiff-Boolaroo (45) took care of Hamwicks to stay in fourth and fifth spots respectively.

Sixth-placed Merewether (35) couldn't reel in Wests.

University virtually handed Toronto the wooden spoon with an outright result.