Sheffield and Leeds Tykes leapfrog rivals Lymm as three-way National Two North title race intensifies

Trailing 18-13 after a Russell Kerr try pulled them to within five points on 61 minutes, a power cut caused by the storm wiped out the lighting shortly after.

Chinnor worked to get the power and lights back on but the game was abandoned.

Doncaster will now await confirmation of whether the result of the Championship fixture stands or if they will have to go back down to Chinnor to replay it at a future date.

The Knights are understood to want a replay.

Sheffield inflicted a first defeat of the season on Lymm, leap-frogging the former leaders to top the National Two North table after a 24-5 victory at Abbeydale.

One of three teams all on 55 points, Sheffield are top, Leeds Tykes are second and Lymm drop to third in a closely-contested battle for the title.

Jack Dawson’s fourth-minute try got Sheffield off the mark but the conversion was missed in windy conditions and when Lymm’s Jack Reynolds crossed they were back level at 5-5 and that score held until the second half.

Eight minutes into the second period Archie Crapper crashed over and Callum Posa added the conversion for a 12-5 lead, and five minutes later Cameron Catleugh’s try was converted by Posa for a 19-5 lead.

Finally with 10 minutes remaining Rhodri Campbell touched down to complete the victory and secure a four-try bonus too.

There was drama at the Sycamores where Leeds Tykes overcame Sheffield Tigers by the narrowest of margins, beating their Yorkshire rivals 12-11 to maintain their title tilt.

Stand-off Mark Ireland kicked Tigers into an early lead with a penalty. Tykes’ scrum-half Kit Keith scored the first try of the game from a driving maul on 32 minutes and James Watts converted, but five minutes later Ireland added a penalty to narrow the gap to 7-6 in Leeds’s favour.

After the break winger Ewan Evans added a second try for Leeds in the corner, with the extras missed in windy conditions.

Tigers’ full-back William Baker’s 65th minute try made it 12-11, but the conversion went astray and Tykes breathed a sigh of relief.

Wharfedale were 22-19 winners over Chester, running in four tries to take maximum points on a tough day.

Full-back Harry Bullough scored early on and stand-off Rob Davidson converted, and they were 12-0 ahead following second row Zeb Heys’ 14th minute try.

Chester opened their account with a 37th minute try, but Heys’ second score made it 17-5 to the Greens.

A converted try early in the second half saw Chester narrow the gap, only for hooker Dan Stockdale to crash over on 55 minutes. A late converted try for Chester was only enough for a losing bonus points as Wharfedale held on for the five-point win.

Elsewhere, Hull were 29-12 winners over Harrogate thanks to tries from full-back Duell Trueman, second row Jose Uriburu Gray, No 8 Adam Brankley, centre Bureta Faraimo and sub Charlie Beech.

Hull Ionians enjoyed a 39-0 win at Preston Grasshoppers.

Sam Pocklington, George Mewburn, Lewis Minikin (2) scored first half tries, while Minikin kicked three conversions and two penalties for a 32-0 half time lead.

After the break Minikin scored and converted again to complete his hat-trick.

Otley went down 26-41 in their home clash with Tynedale despite tries from No 8 Adam Malthouse, centre Jacob Holmes, winger Elliott Spiers and sub Ryan Gibson giving them a bonus point.

In National One, third-placed Rotherham Titans continued their push for the title with a 15-12 win over visitors Blackheath.

The away side took the lead with a 13th-minute try, but it was back level following winger Aidan Shortall’s try on the half hour.

After the break, scrum-half Jean-Baptiste Bruzulier dotted down on 45 minutes and centre Lloyd Hayes added the conversion.

It was all square following a converted try for Blackheath on 63 minutes, but Rotherham held their rivals at bay, and got close enough to the posts for stand-off Corben Ollivent to slice over a drop goal to win the game with the last kick.

Northampton began their Investec Champions Cup campaign with a comfortable 38-8 bonus-point victory over Castres.

The Gallagher Premiership champions were out of the blocks quickly at Franklin’s Gardens to lead through captain Fraser Dingwall’s try.

Castres reduced the deficit with a Louis le Brun penalty as Storm Darragh made life difficult in the East Midlands.

But Saints were firmly in control when Temo Mayanavanua galloped over and Tommy Freeman threw a wide pass for Juarno Augustus to make the corner.

Curtis Langdon secured the bonus point before number eight Augustus claimed a second.