Newcastle lie in ninth, 33 points ahead of bottom-placed side Stockton, who have become detached from the teams above them.

Bottom of the league last season with just one win, Newcastle were saved from relegation by a lack of interest in promotion from Swalwell and Burnmoor, who won the two leagues on the next rung down the local cricket ladder.

The Osborne Avenue side have recorded one win this season (Benwell Hill on the opening day) when James Irving-Fortescue (115), James Carr (59), Guy Saxton and Ross McLaren (four wickets each) were the key protagonists.

The same bowlers again hold the key to Newcastle's chances, but Irving-Fortescue is again an absentee.

South Shields have the more reliable opening batting combination, but the contributions from Newcastle's middle and lower order are superior.

Newcastle's players have returned just seven individual scores of over 50, Shields a meagre six – all by Dan Shurben and Paul Muchall.

The susceptibility in Shields' batting must be resolved sooner rather than later through an individual determination to convert starts into 50s and beyond, and not leave it to those to follow.

The highest individual score from a player other than Shurben or Muchall is just 46 by Oliver Stedman.

The Sapphire Engineering-sponsored side definitely misses the presence of last season's overseas man, Geoff Cullen, who was calm and well-organised at No 3, and able to cajole and nurse performances from the youngsters in the middle and lower order.

Newcastle rely on 31-year-old seamer McLaren to provide the cutting edge. He has taken 15 wickets at 10.66 this season, but crucially, has only played in half of the Osborne Avenue side's matches.

Saxton, in his third appearance of the season, is expected to share the new ball with McLaren.

Newcastle have the potential to spring a surprise, particularly if Shields are in one of their more charitable batting moods and don't respond positively to the absence of three key bowlers.

Matty Muchall (shoulder injury), Nick Quinn (football) and Adam Coyte (returned home) all miss out.

Left–armer Ryan Hale gets the nod over fellow 16-year-old Jak Gaff, and is likely to take the new ball.

Hale's consistency and occasional match-winning performances guarantee that he makes the step up while his confidence is high.

Batsman Nathan Watson, also 16, makes his NEPL first-team debut.

Stedman returns in place of Phil Bell and is likely to bat at three.

In the absence of the seamers, Chris Dorothy will stake a claim as the first-choice spinner tomorrow, when his blossoming off-breaks are likely to be used in tandem with those of specialist twirler Kris McShane.

Last week the second team's efforts to play were frustrated by a combination of rain and sea fret that soaked the Wood Terrace square.

Liam Dixon's impressive, sparky debut for the Academy side has earned him a call-up for tomorrow's trip to Newcastle's Jesmond ground.

There is also a recall for Adam Shaw, who made 96 in the same match.

On paper there is potency in all disciplines and plenty of variety in the attack, but all too often this season the batting has been more collapsible than a game of Jenga.

If the partnerships of which the side is capable can be formed, the team should be able to climb from bottom spot into the top half before the end of the season.