After their disappointing performance at Sheffield Collegiate the previous week, York Cricket Club regained the lead in the Oxbridge Yorkshire ECB County Premier League with a comprehensive 86-runs victory over third-placed Cleethorpes.

At the same time Scarborough slumped to a 123 runs defeat at Headingley against Yorkshire Academy, which leaves York eight points ahead of Scarborough and 16 clear of Cleethorpes.

With other contenders Collegiate and Castleford both losing, York have everything to play for in the coming weeks as, on paper, they have an easier hand of matches than their rivals for the title.

York elected to bat against Cleethorpes and Stephen Piercy and Simon Mason gave them a sound start before Mason was adjudged stumped with the score at 45.

Rob Flack followed quickly, but Marcus Wood dug in with Piercy to pass the century mark. Both of them, along with Mike Davies, departed within five overs to leave York a little rocky at 116-5 with 18 overs remaining.

However, York's late-order batting came up trumps, with Dave Catlow, Jeetan Patel and Duncan Snell scoring at a run a ball to give York a fighting total of 206.

In reply, Cleethorpes settled to their task quite steadily, but Flack snaffled Wayne Kirby and Snell crowned his day by getting Aussie star Shane Deitz caught behind to be the first of skipper Nigel Durham's three victims.

Flack warmed to his task, claiming three further scalps at little cost, and with Dan Broadbent joined the party with his off-spin Cleethorpes were reduced to 47-6 after 23 overs.

Jon Trower stuck it out and Graham Wilson had a feisty knock, but Cleethorpes fell to the inevitable defeat with 13 overs unused and Broadbent joining Flack on the four victims mark.

Updated: 09:59 Monday, July 28, 2003