There was a major shock on the opening day of the Hunters the estate agent York and District Senior Cricket League season when champions Dunnington lost by four wickets at Beverley Town.

Cambridgeshire Minor Counties team skipper Ajaz Akhtar made 48 in Dunnington's 142 all out and followed with 3 for 48.

But Tim Fordon's 38, allied to an unbeaten 33 from Andy Brumfield, saw Beverley win.

Harwood Williams, who made 30, was the only other Dunnington batsman to make any impact as Ian Sugden' 3-17 helped to effect a rare dismissal for the Dunnington side. Dave Kitching then took 3-35 for the champions.

Clifton Alliance's West Indian Lorenzo Ingram made 109 on his debut but was on the losing side at Easingwold, who won by five wickets after Danny Copeland crashed six sixes in his 51no and Martin Piercy (50) and Martin Robinson built on Jon Marwood's 5 for 60 to get Easingwold off to a good start.

Spinner John Hunter claimed three of the five Easingwold wickets at a personal cost of 57.

Pickering took full batting points when they entertained Sessay at Flixton with Mark Shepherd making 37 before Colin Frank 62 and Craig Aconley 65 added 118 for the fourth wickets to produce a home total of 209-8.

Aussie Mick Polson then hit 61 on his debut while Tom Kay (49) and Richard Till (43) kept Sessay's hopes alive.

However, Shepherd then intervened with 4 for 74 and the game ended in a nail biting draw as Sessay reached 208-9.

Sheriff Hutton Bridge's batsmen prospered in the sun as they earned the full five bonus points. Top scorer was Steve Crowder with 61, while useful knocks from Paul Oldfield (32) and Paul Scaling (35) took the total to 202-7 despite a good spell of 5 for 49 by spinner Mark Bell.

Bell's batting colleagues then fared badly as Heworth tottered to 89-9 as Mike Smith 3-29 and Oldfield 3-33 almost bowled their side to victory.

Twenty wickets fell at Thirsk, where visitors Acomb ran out comfortable winners in a game dominated by bowlers.

Last year's runners-up struggled as Barry Petty took 5 for 38 and Mark Wainwright supported with 4-38. Acomb were only able to make 121 thanks to Chris Simpson (34) and Andy Tute (33). Tute then completed a fine performance by taking 5 for 33 as he and Dave Sykes 4-25 scuttled out Thirsk for 71, with only Dean Bramley 29 showing any resistance.

York II got off to a good start on their return to the premier division when they gained by far the better of a draw highly rated Woodhouse Grange.

John McGrady hit 75 in York's 162-8 with 15-year-old spinner Andy Bilton being the pick of the home bowlers with 3-74.

Simon Dwyer, having returned to the Grange's ranks after a spell at Clifton Alliance, then top scored with 37 while Richard Steele added 33 but Mike Mortimer took 3-19 and Aussie Scott Gregory 3-57 as Woodhouse closed on 107-8.

Updated: 09:54 Monday, April 26, 2004