Birthday boy James Brook hit 70no but his side, Drax, only posted 146-5 as they came unstuck against Woodhouse Grange in division three of the HPH York Vale Cricket League.

Their score at one stage looked good enough as Woodhouse needed 50 from the last ten overs and then 11 from the last over, but Grange somehow tasted an unlikely victory with three balls left.

Drax's David Cartwright did his best with 5-25.

Heworth's Anton Rogers scored a defiant 74no against Malton and Old Malton to enable a score of 175-6.

Only Jim Dawson (41) and Nick Salisbury (40) showed with a Malton bat as their team came up 32 runs shy.

All of York University Staff batsmen donated to their 164-6. Clifton Alliance's Bill Roddham took 3-36. Alan Barton and Will Roe then took Clifton to 77 without loss before the weather caused abandonment.

Wistow's Ian Jennings had his York opponents in his pocket by taking 7-50 and their score of 99 was never going to be easy to defend.

Dave Murray (4-31) and John Sharpe (3-41) took them mighty close but an unbroken stand of 41 saw Wistow home by three wickets.

Top dogs in division four, Acomb, wiped out Malton and Old Malton, although an easy win had not looked on the cards as they themselves struggled to a total of 144, Dave Copley top-scoring with 31 while Gary Cooper bowled his allotted overs for 5-44.

Copley then removed the heart of the Malton side in taking a remarkable 4-3 in six overs, and Malton never recovered, folding to a paltry 47 all out.

Bishopthorpe used experience to good effect against Pocklington, Derrick Slack taking 7-74 in Pock's 150-8.

Young opener Chris St Clair Whicker then enthused his way to 31 and Andy Spence cracked an unbeaten 54 as Bish ran out three-wicket winners.

Despite a good start, Melbourne had no answer to Huntington's bowling prowess, Mark Pilmoor (5-13) and Ian Lenny (3-44) bowling them out for 95. Melbourne's attack tried their best with Greg Nesbitt taking 5-40 but found Ian Lenny hard to remove and Huntington squeezed home by three wickets.

Selby's Gareth Pearce had a splendid afternoon against Heworth. He scored 42 in his side's 142-7, Jamie Ingham taking 3-39, then took 6-53. However, it was all in vain as Heworth reportedly won from the last ball by three wickets, John Flint sen scoring 54.

Updated: 09:58 Thursday, June 03, 2004