THE Hunters York and District Senior League completed a hat-trick of victories in the Leeds Area Cricket Council Knockout Cup by beating the Leeds West Riding League by 36 runs at Driffield.

York openers Paul Wright (Carlton Towers) and Andy Kay (York II) performed well against some early accurate bowling from Lee Hurst and former Castleford all-rounder Craig Piggot.

Andy Bedford and Lee Doughty were then brought into the attack but found the going difficult as the York openers being to take control, 36 runs coming from three overs.

Further changes to the attack fared no better as Wright and Kay put on 135 before the Carlton Towers all rounder was bowled by Martin Barlow for 53. Despite losing the next two wickets cheaply, a fourth wicket stand of 44 between Kay and Hornsea's Richard Medforth ensured that the 200 score was reached. Medforth made 24 and Kay finished unbeaten at the end with an impressive 93 to set a target of 224.

The Leeds West Riding League openers put on 32 for the first wicket in only seven overs before Castleford's Ben Smith had Mark Bentley caught by Medforth.

York then took control but were given a scare however as Gary Newton made 52 from only 27 balls and failed to score with only six of them before he was caught by Dan Dales, the Hornsea wicketkeeper to become the second of Matthew Wright's three victims. The Whitkirk paceman took the final wicket with three overs remaining to secure the return of the cup to York.

Scorecard

York: P Wright (Carlton Towers) b Barlow 53, A.Kay (York) no 93, M Holmes (Carlton Towers) b Barlow 1, N Foster (Goole Town) c Bentley b Jones 19, R Medforth (Hornsea) c Jones b Hurst 24, D Graves (Carlton Towers) no 9.

Extras: 25

Total: 224-4

C.Shipton (captain - Whitkirk), D.Dales (Hornsea), M.Wright (Whitkirk),

Fall of Wickets: 1-135, 2-137, 3-164, 4-208

Bowling: Hurst 8-2-32-1; C Piggot 6-1-32-0; A Bedford 7-0-34-0; L Doughty 6-0-35-0; M Barlow 5-0-33-2; I Jones 8-0-42-1

Leeds West Riding League: M Bentley c Medforth b Smith 17, J Stockton c P Wright b Foster 22, R McClashen c Dales b Smith 1, C Piggot b Pitts 18, D Best c M Wright b Pitts 24, I Jones c Shipton b M Wright 16, G Newton c Dales b M.Wright 52, M Barlow b Medforth 0, L Hurst no 15, L Doughty b Medforth 0, A Bedford c Graves b M Wright 1.

Extras: 22.

Total: 188

Fall of Wickets: 1-32, 2-44, 3-58, 4-88, 5-101, 6-147, 7-147, 8-175, 9-187, 10-188

Bowling: B Smith 8-1-34-2, P Wright 6-2-20-0, N Foster 8-1-31-1, C Pitts 8-1-41-2, R Medforth 4-0-29-2, M Wright 3.1-0-16-3.

Hunters York & District Senior League won by 36 runs

Updated: 11:26 Friday, September 12, 2003