STATISTICIANS are checking the record books to see whether Dunnington have set any new bests in their win over Easingwold in Sunday's Hunters York and District Senior League Premier Cup semi-final.

Easingwold rattled up 240-7, at exactly a run a ball, in their 40 overs, with John Marwood hitting 75, Tom Piercy 41 and Paul Skilbeck 67no off just 43 balls to set the cup holders a tough target.

However, Dunnington knocked off the runs for the loss of just one wicket in only 36 overs, finishing on 241-1.

The two sides had drawn in a high-scoring league game the day before, in which in-form Simon Kellett had hit 138, and the opener was denied a second ton in two days as he was left on 90no while Collis King sped his side to victory. The West Indian amassed 119no, reaching his century off just 82 balls.

Dunnington, the league leaders, are going for their sixth consecutive cup triumph having won the old League Cup in 1998, '99 and 2000 and the new Premier Cup both times since its inception three years ago. Coincidentally, the last side to have won the competition were Easingwold.

Dunnington will meet Woodhouse Grange in the final after the latter beat Sheriff Hutton Bridge in their semi-final last week.

Meanwhile, the July batting award in the Hunters York and District Senior League was claimed on the final day of the month when Easingwold's Alan Robinson sneaked ahead of Kamran Sajid's marker set four weeks earlier.

Robinson's unbeaten 123 against Thorp Arch & Boston Spa in division four was the second lowest score to win an award, with only Phil Stephenson of the previous 46 winners gaining an award for a lesser score, when his 121 for Pocklington against Selby won in June 1994.

Robinson's extra two runs prevented the first dead heat in the 11 years of the awards as Simon Kellett's unbeaten 121 for Dunnington against Beverley exactly mirrored Sajid's effort for Woodhouse Grange against Heworth.

Kellett's 17th league century was his second against Beverley this season, a feat achieved only once before in the premier division, and it created history as Jamie Mitchell's ton in the first innings of the game was his second against Dunnington so the pair thus became the first two batsmen to each score two centuries against the same opposition.

Robinson also claimed 5-46 in the same game to complete one of the best all-round performances of the season.

There were 22 centuries in the four-week month with Hemingbrough's Maqsood Akbar equalling the league record, held jointly by Pakistani Test player Mohammed Hafeez and Collis King, of six centuries in a season. Akbar is closing in on 1,000 runs for the season and is well placed to destroy several records.

Two nine-wicket hauls were recorded in the month, both on July 5 with Whitkirk's Harlon Hay claiming the award for his 9-24 against Ripon in division one. Hay, the first Whitkirk player to win a monthly award, clean bowled eight victims but missed out on taking the full ten when the last wicket went to another bowler.

Fellow West Indian Kirk Powell also had a field day on the same Saturday when he took 9-40 in the premier table-topping clash with Acomb.

Nine bowlers claimed seven-wicket hauls with Huntington's Steve Beales, the June winner, grabbing his third of the season.

The presentation evening will be held in York Brewery on Thursday, August 21, at 9pm when the awards for June and July will be made.

Updated: 11:29 Wednesday, August 06, 2003