The Hunters York and District Senior Cricket League had one of their best ever inter-league victories when they beat the Yorkshire ECB County Premier League by five wickets at Woodhouse Grange.

Having struggled to field a truly representative side in the competition for many years, the York League were able to put out a strong side under the captaincy of Dunnington's Collis King.

The Yorkshire League ranks made a poor start against the vastly experienced attack of Dave Sykes (Acomb) and Barry Petty (Thirsk) and lost two wickets for only eight runs inside five overs.

Sykes was rested after a good seven-over spell, but Petty showed why he has been the York League's top bowler for more than a decade by bowling his ten overs for just seven runs, while adding Yorkshire League skipper Darren Harland's scalp to his figures.

The first 20 overs saw the total only reach 41-3 but Sheffield Collegiate batsman Ed McKenna and York's Simon Mason, who started his career in the York League with Ripon, gradually improved matters.

They advanced the score to 104 when Paul Wright trapped the Sheffield man lbw for 49.

Andrew Bourke perished in similar fashion to King for 13, while Mason went on to score 44 as the Yorkshire League closed on 173 in the 48th over, Sykes finishing with 4-20.

York League openers Paul Wright and Hamid Khan put on 61 before Wright was bowled for 32 by Andrew Bourke.

A misunderstanding ten runs later saw Harwood Williams run out before his Dunnington team-mate Hamid Khan was bowled by Ron Barlow (Scarborough) for 20 at the same score.

Skipper King began to unveil some expansive shots but he was caught at square cover by Piercy off Barlow for 15 at 100-4.

However, Mike Burdett began to find the boundary as he and Acomb's Andy Tute took the score to 140 before Barlow had Tute caught for 19.

Burdett and Paul Miles then saw their side home with few problems, Miles making 19no and Burdett, playing in front of his home crowd, carving an unbeaten 43 in a fine 63-ball innings.

SCOREBOARD

Oxbridge Yorkshire ECB County Premier League: S Piercy (York) lbw Petty 5, W Kirby (Cleethorpes) c Miles b Sykes 1, D S Harland (Scarborough) c Miles b Petty 15, E McKenna (Sheffield Collegiate) lbw Wright 49, S Mason (York) c Burdett b Sykes 44, A N Bourke (Castleford) lbw King 13, M King (Sheffield United) b Oldfield 24, R Barlow (Scarborough) c Burdett b Oldfield 0, A Carrington (Cleethorpes) c King b Sykes 9, R G Gilbert (Scarborough) c King b Sykes 1, A Wylie (Sheffield Collegiate) not 0. Extras 12. Total 173 all out

Bowling: D J Sykes 9.1-3-20-4, B D Petty 10-5-7-2, C Oldfield 7-0-23-2, S M Precious 6-0-35-0, C L King 10-0-43-1, P Wright 6-0-35-1.

Hunters York & District Senior League: P Wright (Carlton Towers) b Bourke 32, M H Khan (Dunnington) b Barlow, H.Williams (Dunnington) run out 5, C L King (Dunnington) c Piercy b Barlow 15, M H Burdett (Woodhouse Grange) no 43, A D Tute (Acomb) c Mason b Barlow 19, P A Miles (Dunnington) no 19; Extras 21. Total: 174-5

Did not bat: S M Precious (Dunnington), D Sykes (Acomb), C Oldfield (Osbaldwick) and B D Petty (Thirsk) did not bat.

Bowling: A Carrington 10-4-29-0, A Wylie 9-4-11-0; A N Bourke 7-1-32-1, R G Gilbert 5-1-24-0, R Barlow 10-0-46-3, S Piercy 4-1-15-0

Hunters York and District Senior League won by five wickets

Updated: 11:02 Tuesday, June 03, 2003