YORK'S Oxbridge Yorkshire ECB County Premier Cricket League match against defending champions Doncaster at Town Fields was abandoned without a ball being bowled because of rain, writes Peter Vine.

With only three points from the abandoned match Doncaster have slipped to fourth place in the league.

Sheffield United were knocked off the top and replaced as leaders by Harrogate.

United deprived Harrogate of maximum points after the home side had scored 231-8 in sixty overs. John Proud made 63 and Vic Craven 66. Peter Hepworth, normally a prolific scorer, was dismissed for a duck. Dave Burdon took four Harrogate wickets for 44 in 15 overs.

Jon Trower made 72 for United, but Dave Pennett (3-38), Simon Kippax (2-42) and Hepworth (3-82) took control as United hung on at 195-8.

Scarborough made 178-9 against Appleby Frodingham but after two hours seven minutes play was lost to the weather the match was abandoned with Ap-Frodingham 118-3. Mark Cowell's average of 43 was hit when was given out lbw for a duck.

Sheffield Collegiate beat Yorkshire Academy by 29 runs to move up into second place. Richard Kettleborough made a half century for Collegiate and there was forty each from Nick Gaywood and skipper Ed McKenna.

Tom Owens topped scored in the game with 83 not out for the Academy. Collegiate stalwart John Hespe then took six for 66 in 19.4 overs.

In their top of the table clash Sheffield Hull won by 159 runs at Rotherham, who replied to Hull's 278-8 with 119 in forty overs. Indian Amit Dani included five sixes and eleven fours in his ton for Hull, while former Yorkshire opening bowler, Mark Robinson, now with Sussex, took five Hull wickets for twelve runs in seven blistering overs.

Driffield beat Barnsley by 59 runs, Andy Southwick and Rob Drury scoring 61 and 47 respectively before handing over to Steve Winterbottom (4-31), and Hodgson and Swiers to take three Barnsley wickets each.

Oxbridge Yorkshire ECB County Premier League

Castleford v Cleethorpes

Castleford: M Thewlis b P Thompson 0, L Clayton c Matt Smith b Davies 3, R Kapoor c Indian b P Thompson 13, F Watts b P Thompson 3, J Randerson b Davies 46, G O'Neill lbw G Thompson 14, N Bresnan c Wheeler b Willerton 14, D O'Neill c Matt Smith b Davies 23, T Grey run out 22, M Broadbhurst c Heath b P Thompson 6, T Bresnan not out 5, Extras 13 Total 162.

Bowling: J Davies 17-4-39-3, P Thompson 11-2-40-4, G Thompson 22.3-11-42-1, C Willerton 7-2-19-1, S Indian 2-0-13-0.

Cleethorpes: Mike run out 1, W Abe c Thewlis b Bresnan 3, R Green c Thewlis b Grey 23, N Wheeler b Broadhurst 1, J Heath lbw Broadhurst 10, S Indian lbw Broadhurst 7, C Willerton not out 12, J Davies c Thewlis b Grey 5, P Thompson c N Bresnan b Grey 16, G Thompson not out 0, Extras 3, Total (8wkts) 82.

Bowling: T Bresnan 5-1-4-1, F Watts 9.1-4-15-0, M Broadhurst 13-2-31-3, T Grey 13-5-29-3, J Randerson 4-3-1-0.

Match abandoned because of rain - 3pts each.

Doncaster v York

No play because of rain - 3pts each.

Driffield v Barnsley

Driffield: A Towse lbw Lucey 27, R Drury c Wakefield b Hunsley 47, R Gibbs c Brunt b Hunsley 6, P Walker b Hunsley 34, A Southwick not out 61, S Farnsworth b Hunsley 4, S Winterbottom not out 3, Extras 10, Total (5wkts) 195.

Bowling: A Wakefield 13-1-67-0, J Ellis 7-2-20-0, R Lucey 17-3-52-1, B Hunsley 16-7-39-4, B Patel 7-3-20-0.

Barnsley: C Wood c Howe b Swiers 38, T Yates b Hodgson 0, R Lucey lbw Winterbottom 1, P Benson c Towse b Winterbottom 4, B Hunsley c Howe b Swiers 27, I Dixon c Howe b Swiers 16, D Brunt c Howe b Hodgson 38, G Fenton c Howe b Winterbottom 4, A Ellis not out 5, A Wakefield c Walker b Winterbottom 2, B Patel b Hodgson 1, Extras 5, Total 136.

Bowling: S Winterbottom 12-4-31-4, G Hodgson 12-2-40-3, R Swiers 13-6-35-3, R Drury 8-3-24-0.

Driffield (8pts) beat Barnsley (0pts) by 59 runs.

Harrogate v Sheffield United

Harrogate: J Inglis b Swanepoel 23, J Proud c Trower b Burdon 63, V Craven st King b Burden 66, P Hepworth c Downing b Trower 0, D Wyrill c Watson b Burden 17, P Hempshire run out 7, S Kippax c Leigh b Burden 9, D Pennett not out 17, O Hutton b Swanepoel 2, M Cousen not out 7, Extras 20, Total (8wkts) 231.

Bowling: P Swanepoel 19-4-61-2, M Downing 8-1-31-1, J Trower 18-2-84-1, D Burdon 15-4-44-4.

Sheffield United: J Trower c Hampshire b Kippax 72, M Barlow b Pennett 7, A Twigg c Hampshire b Hepworth 20, D Airey c Wyrill b Kippax 21, B Leigh st Hampshire b Pennett 34, C Watson c Hampshire b Pennett 18, M King not out 12, P Swanepoel c Craven b Hepworth 4, D Burdon b Hepworth 0, M Downing not out 0, Extras 7, Total (8wkts) 195.

Bowling: A Burton 6-0-24-0, D Pennett 13-1-38-3, S Kippax 15-3-42-2, P Hepworth 24-4-82-3.

Incomplete win for Harrogate (6pts), Sheffield United (1pt).

Rotherham v Hull

Hull: W Kirby b Smallman 2, A Simpson run out 68, D Stephenson c Burford b Smallman 8, A Dani c Zafar b Smallman 103, S Cox c Scrivens b Smallman 31, B Coulbard c Zafa b Adams 24, I Haller c Swallow b Adams 3, T Londesborough b Smallman 0, S Sargeant not out 6, M Robinson not out 2, Extras 31, Total (8wkts) 278.

Bowling: L Jeffries 5-0-27-0, M Smallman 25-3-84-5, B Scrivens 8-1-26-0, I Zafar 4-0-35-0, A Swallow 2-0-10-0, D Adams 16-2-66-2.

Rotherham: D Adams c Stephenson b Coulbard 16, J Whittle lbw Sargeant 1, O Burford c Stephenson b Robinson 37, A Raison c Coulbard b Robinson 8, B Scrivens b Robinson 0, I Zafar c Simpson b Robinson 1, D Plummer c Stephenson b Robinson 6, A Swallow b Sargeant 8, A Bashford not out 11, L Jeffries run out 1, M Smallman c Stephenson b Patterson 20, Extras 10, Total 119.

Bowling: S Sargeant 13-6-38-2, S Patterson 5.2-0-29-1, D Coulbard 9-3-15-1, M Robinson 7-3-12-5, S Cox 5-0-15-0.

Hull (8pts) beat Rotherham (0pts) by 159 runs.

Scarborough v Appleby Frodingham

Scarborough: M Cowell lbw Ellis 0, C Allen b Ellis 19, D Harland b Hildrith 33, P Seed b Topia 38, A Gallagher st Wilson b White 15, G Wilson not out 35, N Tubbs lbw Topia 0, N Fletcher b Topia 4, B Wigney c Brown b Raynor 15, M Wells c Wilson b Raynor 0, C Clifford not out 8, Extras 11, Total (9wkts) 178.

Bowling: A Ellis 19-5-41-2, S Raynor 12-3-44-2, D Hildrith 8-3-19-1, N White 10-4-32-1, T Topia 11-2-33-3.

Appleby Frodingham: D Brown b Wells 4, A White b Wells 24, T Topia c Harland b Wells 34, J Parker not out 36, M Bramley not out 12, Extras 8, Total (3wkts) 118.

Bowling: B Wigney 14-2-46-0, M Wells 15-6-38-3, C Clifford 3-0-27-0, N Fletcher 2-1-4-0.

Match abandoned. Scarborough 3pts, Appleby Frodingham 3pts.

Sheffield Collegiate v Yorkshire Academy

Sheffield Collegiate: N Gaywood b Brice 40, N Priestley c&b Brice 36, R Kettleborough c Townsend b Ramsden 51, E McKenna run out 40, C Wall b Ramsden 3, M Root b Brice 3, M Boocock not out 4, J Hespe not out 1, Extras 26, Total (6wkts) 204.

Bowling: G Ramsden 12-1-33-2, T Baker 4-1-17-0, C Brice 26-7-75-3, I Dews 18-0-53-0.

Yorkshire Academy: R Pyrah c&b Wylie 10, J Sayers b Kettleborough 15, T Owens not out 83, N Harris c Gaywood b Hespe 0, T Bhatti c Fisher b Hespe 19, G Newton c Priestley b Ivill 1, I Dews c Root b Hespe 14, T Baker b Boocock 6, C Brice c Kettleborough b Hespe 12, G Ramsden st Fisher b Hespe 0, J Townsend b Hespe 6, Extras 10, Total 175.

Bowling: A Wylie 9-5-11-1, R Kettleborough 12-3-27-1, J Hespe 19.4-2-66-6, M Ivill 8-2-24-1, M Boocock 8-1-37-1.

Sheffield Collegiate (8pts) beat Yorkshire Academy (0pts) by 29 runs.

League latest positions

Harrogate 72pts from 14 games, Sheffield Collegiate 71-13, Sheffield United 68, Doncaster 68, Yorkshire Academy 59-15, Scarborough 53, Cleethorpes 53-15, York 52, Hull 45, Appleby-Frodingham 44-13, Castleford 43-13, Driffield 34, Rotherham 23-13, Barnsley 22.