ALL-ROUNDER Mark Earle propelled leaders Westow to a thumping 10-wicket victory against a weakened South Cave & Brantingham in division one of the HPH York Vale Cricket League.
Westow’s batsmen went hard from ball one in a game reduced to 24 overs because of the threat of rain.
Earle brought up his century in just 39 balls and his knock of 134 not out included 11 sixes.
Fellow opener Andrew Welford ended unbeaten with 74 as Westow made the most of gaps in the field to amass 216 without loss from 17 overs before declaring.
The run chase was never on and Cave were bowled out for 83. Earle took a couple of wickets and Shane Marshall 3-17.
Melbourne battled through constant drizzle to beat Ovington in a match reduced to 30 overs.
Ovington laboured to 15-2 from the first 10 overs but managed to total 101-7.
Melbourne’s early order also found conditions difficult. They were 20-3 after seven overs before Adam Thomas (31) and Matt Beevers (33) improved matters until the latter was bowled by Kurt Baird, who hails from Melbourne, Australia.
Andy Forman hit two sixes on his way to an unbeaten 25 to wrap up victory.
An opening stand of 89 between Jason Gatus (34) and Ali Wray (55) was the highlight of Clifton Alliance’s seven-wicket win against 10-man Wheldrake.
Seamer Luke Mitchell put the skids under his old club, Thorpe Willoughby, as Hirst Courtney won in the only game in division two to beat the rain.
Opener Ben Copeland scored 67 and Jake Wild struck a classy 68 as they put on 116 for Hirst’s second wicket. Martin Cooke put the brakes on with 3-39 as the visitors ended on 195-6.
Thorpe sped to 47 in five overs with Andy McEvoy (33) leading the way but the introduction Mitchell (5-34) sparked a middle-order collapse and Thorpe fell 42 runs short.
Hemingbrough new-ball pair Andy Rowley (3-28) and Matt Bradshaw (1-26) restricted Ben Johnson to 45-4 at drinks but the experienced Martin Reynolds (52) got the printers to 132-7 by tea.
Hemingbrough made a disastrous start to their reply as Darren Snowden (3-23) tore through the top order. His first four overs were all maidens in which he took three wickets.
Steve Wragg (3-42) maintained the pressure as Hemingbrough were bowled out for 87.
There was a thrilling division three match at Dunnington’s Common Road ground as Clifton Alliance II triumphed with the last pair at the wicket.
Dunnington captain Steve Jackson made 40 but the innings subsided from 74-3 to 100 all out against James Hodge (4-19) and Will Moll (3-22).
Clifton lost Alan Barton from the first ball of their innings, the first of Ed Hammond’s five catches behind the stumps.
Ed Millington found prodigious turn and took 5-30, his second five-for of the season.
However, the young Alliance tail wagged as Ben Hudson (12), Hodge (15) and Kier Brooks-Humphrey (11no) saw the visitors home.
Thorpe Willoughby II were grateful to 73-year-old Lawrence Stones who scored 76 not out against Burn II. Bowlers Dan Robinson (4-37) and Patrick Abbott (3-54) picked up seven of the eight wickets to fall as Thorpe totalled 184.
Tom Harland (63) and Abbott (40) led the reply as Burn won with 10 balls to spare.
Ovington II were poised to take victory at Pocklington when rain brought an abrupt end to proceedings.
Ovington totalled 193-4 from 30 overs, left-hander Tom Irwin striking 51 not out and Jack Walmsley 49.
Walmsley then starred with the ball with figures of 6-2-7-5 as Pock crashed to 35-6 off 13 overs when rain arrived.
Press Performance of the Week: Westow's Mark Earle launched 11 sixes on his way to an unbeaten 134 against a weakened South Cave & Brantingham in division one.
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