Clifton Alliance have one hand on the Hunters the Estate Agent York and District Senior Cricket League premier division trophy.

An unbroken stand of 116 between Aussie Daniel Harris and skipper Richard Musgrave steered them to an 8-wicket victory over fourth-placed Beverley Town yesterday.

The win, coupled with nearest rivals Dunnington figuring on the worst end of a draw against Acomb, leaves Alliance leading by 51 points with just two games remaining.

Beverley were dismissed for 207 in the final over as James Postill took 4-43 for the hosts. Clifton's Dave Taylor (26) was one of two victims for the Beverley attack but Harris and Musgrave then combined to see Clifton home.

Acomb produced one of their best performances of the season to have Dunnington tottering on the precipice of defeat. Skipper Andy Tute hit an impressive unbeaten 113 as he shared a 138-run second wicket stand with Sanjaya Rodrigo (75) in Acomb's 223-3.

Hamed Khan made 36 at the top of Dunnington's order and James Bolam made 45 but Dave Sykes proved to be a real handful as he claimed 7-77 in a marathon 25-over stint.

Dunnington had to thank the Miles pairing of father and son who held out for the final 21 deliveries to close on 188-9 with Paul Miles making 25no and Gary a valuable 1 not out.

Malton & Old Malton virtually ensured safety when they had the better of a draw with Heworth. Aussie Brent Warren was Malton's top scorer with 70 not out and Neil Johnson (31) and Gary Hall (26) added runs. However Heworth's donation of 21 wides and 28 byes in a total of 54 extras proved to be decisive.

Colin de Grandhomme then hit 89 for Heworth but three batsmen perished to run outs as Heworth lost seven wickets before gaining a draw at 201-7.

Relegated Osbaldwick were beaten by Pickering.

Paul Finnie made 40 and Andy Hall 31 but Adie Boyes claimed 4-33 and Craig Aconley 3-14 as Osbaldwick were put out for 153. They hit back to capture three Pickering wickets before Colin Frank, with 88no and Mark Shepherd 46no steered the Pikes to victory.

Osbaldwick look like being joined by Sheriff Hutton Bridge who lost at Woodhouse Grange (Full report on opposite page).

Sessay stepped up their bid for the runners-up trophy when they beat Easingwold by six wickets to move within three points of second-placed Dunnington.

Jonathon Marwood made a straight half century and Dan Copeland 31 for Easingwold but Dave Johnson with 3-37 and Steve Langstaff, who took 5-36, bowled the retiring champions out for 159, a score which would have been lower without an unbeaten 14 from 13-year-old Billy Gregory.

Sessay's successful reply hinged on the batting of cousins Matthew Till with 69 and Chris Till (26) who saw their side to 160-4.

Before the game, the teams observed a minutes silence in memory of former Easingwold player Bill Cowling who lost a lengthy battle against ill health last Friday.

Despite having to settle for a disadvantage draw at Pocklington, Stamford Bridge are assured of the first division title and promotion to the premier division.

Pocklington skipper Neil Jackson's 114 enabled his side to post a total of 227 all out as Brian Aconley took 5-43.

Bridge's prolific run machine Lorenzo Ingram went to within 70 runs of creating a new all-time aggregate run record when he made 80 but saw his side settle for a second best draw at 176-7.

Hemingbrough's Pakistani paceman Mohammed Asim Butt became the first bowler to claim all ten wickets in the first division when he bagged 10-43 to bowl Driffield to a 113 run defeat.

Having already become the first bowler to take eight or more wickets four times in a season, Butt, whose performance also included a hat-trick, moved to 88 wickets and now requires three wickets to create yet another record of most wickets in a season.

Prior to Butt's devastating performance, Asim Zubair had hit an unbeaten 106 and Imran Malik 36, which had enabled Hemingbrough to declare on 214-5 after 39 overs.

Jim Driscoll took 3-66 for Driffield while team mate Andy Towse followed with 33 but Butt was not to be denied as Driffield tumbled to 101 all out.

The result saw Hemingbrough edge into second place despite having been deducted 60 points earlier in the season for disciplinary breaches.

Carlton Towers slipped out of the promotion slot when they were well-beaten at home by York II whose Jason English, with 66no and Andy Kay 48no saw their side to an eight-wicket win in 32.3 overs with an unbroken stand of 84.

Carlton's batsmen, apart from Mark Holmes, who made 43, and Abhay Sharma, who made 35 had an uncomfortable time against Peter Bainbridge (5-38) and Steve Beales who took 3-50 in 20 overs and were dismissed for 148.

Updated: 11:36 Tuesday, August 30, 2005