YORK Cricket Club went down to a disappointing, but merited, defeat by 19 runs when they entertained Harrogate in the Oxbridge ECB Yorkshire Premier League on Monday.

The visitors chose to bat at Clifton Park and were contained by accurate bowling from Rob Flack and Richard Carroll, and when York turned to spin, Dan Broadbent immediately struck to claim Alexis Twigg.

Rain interrupted the game on several occasions and unsettled the York bowlers, with Broadbent and Riley O'Neill going for 38 runs in six overs.

The hosts were on the rack when Nigel Durham pulled off a brilliant stumping off Greg How to dismiss Harrogate skipper John Inglis.

This launched How on an eight-wicket haul but the spinners could not seal up the other end and it seemed a pity that Flack and Carroll were not brought back to support him.

Only Tim Leeming stood firm as wickets fell and Harrogate's total of 174 needed only a good start in reply for York to have a decent chance of victory.

However, the hosts lost three early wickets, all lbw to quick bowler Dave Pennett, who went to claim three further leg before victims, which was a tribute to his unbridled enthusiasm.

Additionally, O'Neill was needlessly run out but a Broadbent and Flack partnership put on 67 runs and seemed to bring York within sight of victory, with more than 20 overs remaining to collect 61 runs from five wickets.

Nevertheless, Pennett continued to find favour with the umpires and Broadbent was run out.

Duncan Snell and How edged the score forward but Pennett and Chris Kippax applied the final axe to leave the hosts 19 runs short with six overs remaining, with only How's bowling and Durham's four victims as a consolation.

Scarborough earned their first win of the season with overseas batsman steering them to an eight-wicket win at Sheffield United with an unbeaten 115.

Updated: 11:06 Tuesday, May 04, 2004