EASINGWOLD continued to blaze the trail towards the premier division title when they overwhelmed Sheriff Hutton Bridge by nine wickets to increase their lead to 48 points at the halfway stage in the season.

After losing their top order cheaply, the Bridge reached a respectable 157 all out thanks to the efforts of David Gilbertson, who made his best score for the club when he reached an unbeaten 61 and Ian Clish aided with 31.

Easingwold's bowling honours were shared by Jason Sargeant 3-26 and Gavin Rees 3-22. Their side were then given a wonderful start by Jonathon Marwood and Martin Piercy and seemed to be heading for a ten wicket victory until Marwood fell for 88 leaving Piercy to move to 58no as their side won by nine wickets.

A sensational game at Dunnington saw the home side move into second place following an eight-run victory over fellow title challengers Acomb.

Batting first, Dunnington had reached 101-2, with Hamid Khan making 33, when the weather caused a stoppage.

However, on resumption they added a further 98 runs in the remaining eight overs of their curtailed innings as Collis King raced to his 29th century in the league, making 108 as he and Dave Greenlay 40 savaged the visitor's two man attack in which Andy Tute took 3-120 as he bore the brunt of the onslaught.

In reply, Chris Simpson made 34 then half centuries by Richard Sykes 50 and Joe Burton 66 appeared to be taking Acomb towards victory but a sensational final over saw them lose their last four wickets to fall all out for 195.

Greenlay was the destroyer as he bagged a trio of victims - the other casualty being a run out - and the all-rounder closed with 5-32 with all his victims coming in his last two overs.

Sessay lifted themselves off the foot of the table as they transferred the form that has seen them move into the last 16 of the National Village Competition into their league campaign. Matthew Till rattled 89 and Tom Kay 25 as they totalled 185-9 against York, whose overseas man Scott Gregory took 6-63.

Fellow countryman Mick Polson then hit back with 3-19 before Steve Langstaff, having conceded 14 runs in one over, recorded figures of 5-16, which dismissed York for the divisions lowest total of the season when they made just 51.

Whilst Sessay moved out of the bottom two, neighbours Thirsk slipped to the foot of the division when they narrowly failed to force victory at Beverley.

Oli Grantham made 66 and Graham taylor 26 as Beverley posted 159-8 with Barry Petty taking 4-38 on his return to the Thirsk line-up. Aussie Nathan Bell then made 47 and Matthew Cressay 47 not out but Barry Sayer's 4-58 kept Beverley marginally ahead as Thirsk's reply closed on 147-6.

A 102-run second wicket stand between John Myers 51 and Dave Taylor 84 put Clifton Alliance into a controlling position as they underlined their role as top scoring team by reaching 250 for the fourth time in the season.

Their 251-6 proved to be way out of reach of Heworth who were taken to a draw at 160-7 by Mark Lynch who made 54 not out as he defied John Thornton's 3-24.

No play was possible in the game between Pickering and Woodhouse Grange.

Updated: 09:05 Monday, July 05, 2004