SHERIFF Hutton Bridge's Nick Scaling returned the best bowling figures of the season when his career best 8-34 sent Duncombe Park to a heavy first division defeat at Moor Farm.

Bridge suffered an early blow when skipper Paul Oldfield fell for a duck but rallied through Mike Smith (29) and Steve Crowder (39).

However, the Wilkie brothers then reduced the hosts from 78-2 to 113-9 with Paul claiming 4-27 and Mark 3-24. Bridge had to thank Aaron Wilford (23) and Danny Snowball (8no), whose last wicket stand of 32 helped them to 145 all out.

Nick Scaling then doubled his wickets for the season in the first over of the Duncombe Park innings when he claimed the prize scalps of Brian Leckenby, Danny O'Donnell and Mark Wilkie to reduce Park to 5-3. Peter Humpleby made 28 but Scaling continued to wreak havoc and his eight-wicket haul saw the Helmsley side succumb to 64 all out in the 27th over.

Tadcaster Magnet maintained their pressure on the leading two sides when they had an impressive eight-wicket win at Stamford Bridge despite the home side posting a total of 180-9.

Dave Chaplin led the way for Bridge with 76 while Peter Milner made 38no. Paul Downey was again the leader of the pack for Tadcaster as he claimed 5-52 to take his season's haul to 26 wickets. John Hill provided valuable support with 3-51.

When Magnet batted, Mick Ransome (29) was one of two wickets to fall before New Zealander Shaun Cook led the victory charge with an unbeaten 93 and Russ Parker continued his recovery from a fractured rib with an unbeaten 37.

York's Nash Stone hit his fourth century of the season when he took an unbeaten 139 off the Whitkirk attack.

With the English-based Aussie reaching three figures for the third time in four weeks and Dave Catlow making 49 and Andrew Kay 31, York were able to reach an insurmountable 254-2.

The home side's batsmen then made a good response with one-time Duncombe Park player Andy Pierson leading the way with 72, Darren Grey making 50 and Neil Edgecock 28. Marcus Bellerby claimed 3-58 but the decisive performance came from Sean Hunter, who brought about the home side's downfall when his 5-15 had Whitkirk all out for 188.

Updated: 09:44 Monday, June 23, 2003