In one of the most exciting finishes at Clifton Park for some time, York were knocked out of the fourth round of the National Club Knockout Cup by Central Yorkshire League side Methley just two runs short of their target.

York needed seven runs in the final over yesterday to go through to the next round but they couldn't make it.

Methley had made 154 in 43.1 overs Rob Flack taking 5 for 14 in his 7.1 brilliant overs.

York replied with 152-8, Nick Kay, who had taken 2 for 30 with the ball, scoring 34 with other contributions coming from Simon Mason (23) and Ed Senneck, who was run out on 27.

West Indian Neville Lindsey bowled nine overs for a super return of 0 for 15, while York's batsmen recovered from being 15-1 down in the sixth over with a half-century second-wicket stand between Mason and Kay that ended at 71-2 in the 23rd over with the dismissal of Mason.

That put York in the driving seat but momentum was lost in the next few overs when York lost three wickets for the addition of only 12 runs.

That left them facing a tight run chance and they were unable to force victory.

Methley now entertain Harrogate in the next round after Harrogate bowled out their fourth round opponents Shepley for 107 in 43.4 overs.

Led impressively by captain John Proud, who hammered an unbeaten 76, 'Gate won by six wickets at St George's Road.

Sunday's defeat was a bitter blow for York, ruining a possible double celebration after they beat lowly visitors Barnsley by five wickets in the Yorkshire ECB County Premier League on Saturday.

But the fact that they were guilty of dropping five catches meant that they only have themselves to blame for not claiming all eight league points as Barnsley hung on to their last wicket at 167-9.

The visitors from Shaw Lane made a painfully slow start losing their first three wickets for only 25 runs in 17 overs.

Captain Nigel Durham made two of the inroads with the stumping of both openers, Robin Holmes off Tom Pringle and Ian Jukes off the bowling of Rob Flack, who ended with figures of 4 for 30 in 18 overs.

But a sixth-wicket partnership of 62 runs between Paul Benson, who fell on 74 lbw to Flack and Andy Ivill (18), raised Barnsley's final total to respectability.

In their match-winning reply, York put on 29 for the first wicket in the 12th over when Marcus Wood (19) was trapped lbw by Martin Ivill.

Wood's partner Simon Mason laboured through 21more overs facing 93 balls in 117 minutes before he was bowled by Benson in the 33rd over for 27 runs.

Nick Kay scored 67 before he was stumped down the leg side and Michael Mortimer, currently York's most improved player, added 30 not out to his earlier wicket.

A brilliant 7 for 30 return from 15 overs by Harrogate's Dave Pennett made short work of Doncaster as he helped to dismiss Town for 86 in 30.4 overs and put 'Gate back top over rained-off Scarborough.

Harrogate romped home to a nine-wicket victory in 14.3 overs, skipper John Proud being run out after scoring 26.

Pennett's previous best return in the Yorkshire League was 8 for 21 against Rotherham last year when he topped the league's bowling averages with 56 wickets at an 11.57 average.

YORKSHIRE ECB COUNTY PREMIER LEAGUE

CLEETHORPES v HULL

Hull: W Kirby c Sinclair b White 35, A Simpson c Wilson b Thompson 31, A Dani b Davies 104, J Dows c Davies b Thompson 4, D Barrick lbw White 10, I Haller c Wilson b Davies 30, S Cox not out 26, D Page not out 1, Extras 9, Total (6 wkts) 250.

Bowling: J Davies 15-4-73-2, P Nilsson 5-1-22-0, M Sinclair 7-052-0, N White 15-3-56-2, G Thompson 13-5-40-2.

Cleethorpes: M Smith st Londesborough b Dani 60, M Sinclair c Haller b Dani 73, J Stephenson b Patterson 9, S Clifton b Patterson 38, S Indian c Patterson b Dows 4, C Willerton b Patterson 4, J Davies b Patterson 4, G Wilson c Londesborough b Dani 3, N White not out 8, P Nilsson lbw Patterson 4, G Thompson not out 0, Extras 10, Total (9 wkts) 217.

Bowling: s Patterson 15-3-51-5, J Dows 10-0-53-1, D Barrick 5-0-30-0, A Dani 20-0-56-3, S Cox 5-2-9-0.

Hull beat Cleethorpes by 33 runs.

Umpires: J Holliday and A Featherstone.

DONCASTER v HARROGATE

Doncaster: P Worthington c Crowther b Pennett 9, D Siddup c Inglis b Pennett 40, G Dawson b Pennett 12, P Ellis b Pennett 0, N Harris b Pennett 1, W Graca lbw Pennett 0, A Fiddler c Proud b Pennett 3, S Nicholson lbw Crowther 0, P Silvester not out 2, P Stokoe b Crowther 1, D Jones c Proud b Crowther 7, Extras 11, Total 86.

Bowling: S Jenson 6-0-38-0, D Pennett 15-5-30-7, D Crowther 9.4-2-12-3.

Harrogate: J Inglis not out 24, J Proud run out 26, P Hepworth not out 3, Extras 34, Total (1 wkt) 87.

Bowling: P Worthington 7-0-21-0, N Harris 4.3-0-24-0, P Ellis 3-0-23-0.

Harrogate (8pts) beat Doncaster (0pts) by 9 wkts.

Umpires: S Roberts and J Millard.

DRIFFIELD v CASTLEFORD

Driffield: R Gibbs b Wainwright 18, R Drury c Thewlis b O'Neill 11, A Southwick not out 55, A Towse c Randerson b Wainwright 9, M Drury b Wainwright 31, M Dean c Thewlis b O'Neill 10, S Winterbottom c Daniels b O'Neill 18, M Tennent not out 0, Extras 20, Total (6 wkts) 172.

Bowling: G O'Neill 14-0-52-2, A Bourke 9-2-29-1, P Wainwright 18-8-41-3, D Wainwright 14-4-37-0.

Castleford: J Parkin c Southwick b Winterbottom 57, L Clayton lbw Southwick 32, M Thewlis b Swiers 31, A Bourke not out 29, J Randerson not out 15, Extras 11, Total (3 wkts) 175.

Bowling: S Winterbottom 14-1-46-1, R Swiers 12.2-2-32-1, M Woodcock 8-2-33-0, A Southwick 8-1-34-1.

Castleford (6pts) beat Driffield (0pts) by 7 wkts.

Umpires: TM Cottam and A Pawson.

ROTHERHAM v SHEFFIELD UNITED

Rotherham: J Trower run out 20, P McGann c Eastwood b Downing 0, D Kempt b Swanepoel 15, S Guy lbw Swanepoel 0, O Burford b Swanepoel 25, B Scrivens run out 0, J Plater b Swanepoel 0, J Allan c Downing b Eastwood 4, A Swallow lbw Eastwood 0, L Jeffries c Leigh b Yarnley 27, M Smallman not out 0, Extras 4, Total 95.

Bowling: P Swanepoel 13.1-3-42-4, M Downing 5-1-22-1, P Eastwood 7-0-28-2, D Yarnley 1-0-1-1.

Sheffield United: M Barlow not out 61, A Twigg c Guy b Smallman 32, D Yarnley not out 6, Extras 0, Total (1 wkt) 99.

Bowling: L Jeffries 9-2-22-0, B Scrivens 7-1-19-0, A Swallow 2-0-14-0, M Smallmaan 6-3-11-1, J Trower 3-0-15-0, S Guy 2.2-1-18-0.

Sheffield United (8pts) beat Rotherham (0pts) by 9 wkts.

Umpires: I Oakes and K Jackson.

SCARBOROUGH v APPLEBY-FRODINGHAM

Appleby-Frodingham: R King not out 79, P Taylor lbw Fletcher 3, J Taylor st Whitmarsh b Barlow 39, J Parker c Gallagher b Gray 6, M Morland c Gray b Barlow 6, R Dransfield c Gray b Barlow 2, M Bramley not out 3, Extras 18, Total (5 wkts) 154.

Bowling: V Craven 8-1-18-0, N Fletcher 6-1-16-1, R Barlow 17.3-2-46-3, A Gray 8.2-2-30-1, C Clifford 7.4-0-28-0.

Match abandoned - rain - 3pts each.

Umpires: J Abram and R E Lawson.

SHEFFIELD COLLEGIATE v YORKSHIRE ACADEMY

Sheffield Collegiate: N Priestley b Broadbent 41, M Root b Stiff 0, R Kettleborough c Broadbent b Elstub 58, E McKenna not out 57, c Wall run out 23, J Tasker b Wigley 3, R Pineo c Dews b Elstub 5, Extras 27, Total (6 wkts) 214.

Bowling: D Wigney 13-1-50-1, D Stiff 7-1-20-1, C Elstub 11-1-49-2, T Bresnan 6-3-7-0, R Pyrah 1-0-4-0, D Broadbent 11-0-41-1, C Brice 7-3-24-0.

Yorkshire Academy: T Bresnan c&b Kettleborough 74, A Gale b Kettleborough 27, R Pyrah c Fisher b Boocock 1, G Newton st Priestley b Boocock 18, I Dews c Wylie b Kettleborough 6, T Bhatti lbw Boocock 3, D Wigley lbw Kettleborough 0, C Brice b Wylie 13, C Elstub not out 21, D Stiff c Hespe b Wylie 1, D Broadbent not out 9, Extras 6, Total (9 wkts) 170.

Bowling: R Pineo 7-2-23-0, A Wylie 9-0-31-2, R Kettleborough 22-4-48-4, M Boocock 17-5-64-3.

Sheffield Collegiate (6pts) beat Yorkshire Academy (1pt) by 44 runs.

Umpires: B Whitehead and T Boldry.

YORK v BARNSLEY

Barnsley: R Holmes st Durham b Pringle 11, I Jukes st Durham b Flack 8, B Hunsley b Flack 0, P Benson lbw Flack 74, B Kulbashan c Wood b Piercy 24, I Dixon b Piercy 7, A Ivill b Mortimer 18, R Ledger b Flack 12, G Fenton not out 2, D Clayton run out 1, M Ivill not out 0, Extras 10, Total (9 wkts) 167.

Bowling: R Gilbert 10-4-17-0, R Flack 18-7-30-4, T Pringle 13-2-49-1, S Piercy 9-2-39-2, M Mortimer 5-1-24-1.

York: M Wood lbw M Ivill 19, S Mason b Benson 27, N Kay st Clayton b A Ivill 67, N Stone c Fenton b Hunsley 4, M Mortimer not ut 30, B Quick run out 13, S Piercy not out 1, Extras 7, Total (5 wkts) 168.

Bowling: R Ledger 11-3-23-0, M Ivill 18-3-47-1, G Fenton 9-2-37-1, B Hunsley 5-0-23-1, A Ivill 4-0-17-1, B Kulbashan 2-0-8-0, R Holmes 1-0-9-0.

York beat Barnsley by 5 wkts.

Umpires: M Maddocks and G J Mellor.

NCA NATIONAL CLUB KNOCK OUT

FOURTH ROUND

YORK v METHLEY

Methley: A Gilston c Wood b Mortimer 37, R Haikings c Durham b Flack 18, J Kirk st Durham b Piercy 20, L Smith c Quick b Mortimer 1, M Frost b Kay 14, J Smith c Flack b Kay 30, R Smart c Kay b Flack 2, M Waite not out 7, A Olbison lbw Flack 4, G Thompson b Flack 0, N Lindsey b Flack 1, Extras 20, Total 154.

Bowling: G Mackfall 7-0-36-0, R Flack 8.1-3-14-5, M Mortimer 9-0-24-2, S Piercy 9-3-22-1, E Senneck 4-0-19-0, N Kay 6-0-30-2.

York: M Wood b Olbison 14, S Mason c Smith b Kirk 23, N Kay c Olbison b Thompson 34, M Mortimer c Smart b Thompson 6, B Quick c Smart b Thompson 12, E Senneck b Thompson 27, R Flack b Thompson 8, S Piercy c&b Waite 6, D Caplow not out 7, N Durham not out 3, Extras 12, Total 152.

Bowling: N Lindsey 9-3-15-0, A Olbison 4-0-20-1, M Waite 9-1-25-1, M Frost 9-0-40-0, J Kirk 5-0-15-1, G Thompson 9-1-26-4.

Shepley beat York by 2 runs.

Shepley 107 (P Heaton 28; D Pennett 2-16, N Louden 3-18), Harrogate 113 for 4 (J Proud 76no). Harrogate won by six wickets.

Sheffield Collegiate 197 (McKenna 62, M Root 52), Wickerley 201-4 (Jahanghir 69, Tomlinson 42). Wickersley won by six wickets. Sandiacre 260-4 (J Trueman 108, B Spendler 68), Sheffield United 173 (M Robinbson 29, J Jordison 3-19). Sandiacre won by 87 runs