ADMIRABLE accuracy was displayed by both York and Acomb to strike singularly successful blows in the ECB National Club cricket championship.

Yesterday's torrential rain swamped any prospect of play in the respective second round ties of York at home to Darlington at Clifton Park, and at Acomb, who were also playing host to fellow Hunters the Estate Agent York and District Senior League rivals Clifton Alliance.

So that left the two home sides to stage drama-drenched bowl-offs at which five bowlers from each side initially have two deliveries apiece to try to hit a single stump.

Home fires managed to burn brightly as both York and Acomb prevailed.

Over at Clifton Park both York and Darlington were still deadlocked at 1-1 after the five bowlers had their go. That necessitated a sudden-death bowl-off and York's Simon Mason held his nerve to smash down the solitary timber and seal a third round clash away to Guisborough next Sunday.

Acomb also joined their city rivals in the next round.

There, at The Green, the bowl-off was poised at 3-2 to the homesters when club mainstay Andy Tuite struck decisively with both his deliveries to clinch a 4-3 triumph.

Acomb's reward was another home tie next Sunday and against more local opposition when they will entertain Dunnington in the third round.

Meanwhile, heroic efforts by groundsman Steve Machen, assisted by Ian Mortimer, could not prevent the elements prevailing to wash out York's Yorkshire ECB Premier League game at home to Sheffield Collegiate on Saturday.

Hosts York were handily placed at 87-2 off 35 off the scheduled 55 overs when the downpours came to force the premature halt to the Clifton Park encounter.

York had been inserted by the Steelers and suffered an early loss when Simon Mason was bowled after leaving left a straight ball from Alex Wylie. Steve Piercy continued to bat fluently and had made 38 out of 49 when he was caught at extra cover off the bowling of Ron Ibbotson.

York's Marcus Wood had no such trouble. He hit four boundaries in ten deliveries from Ibbotson as York upped their run-rate to more than five an over until the deluge intervened.

Updated: 10:23 Monday, May 19, 2003