WITH World Cup football taking centre stage several HPH York Vale Cricket League games were rescheduled with early starts and limited overs - but it did not disrupt Westow’s march towards the division one title.

They and Melbourne elected to play a T20 match with Melbourne having 86 on the board after 16 overs with Adam Thomas (30) and Andy Forman (28) leading the way. Both fell to Ali Fothergill (4-24) to trigger a collapse which saw six wickets fall for no score.

Jacob Stephenson (4-21) mopped up the bottom order as Melbourne closed on 102 all out. Stephenson then made a rapid 32 and Matthew Shipley 43 in a five-wicket Westow win.

Les Milburn (68) laid the foundations for a decent Thixendale score. However Ovington, spearheaded by Aussie bowler Kurt Baird (3-21), hit back before Jonty Gillingham (38) pushed Thixendale onto 188-7.

Guy Scothern took two wickets in his first two overs, leaving Ovington on 2-2. However, Harry Buckley smashed 60 and the game was in the balance before Scothern took another two wickets, to finish with a match-winning 4-45.

Harry Cruise struck an unbeaten 87 for Burn against Wheldrake, who struggled to chase 170-3 as Patrick Abbott (4-23) ripped through the middle order thanks to great work behind the stumps by Sam Edwards, who claimed four victims.

In division two, Yapham openers Mark Fairey and Craig Readhead (58) put on 95 against Hirst Courtney before Sam Noble (63) added 110 for the second wicket with Fairey (90). Yapham totalled 231-5.

Ben Copeland scored 72 as a below-strength Hirst finished on 167-8.

Stockton & Hopgrove’s bowlers dismissed Stamford Bridge for 111, spinner Athula Ranathanake taking 5-27. Tom Williams (45) saw Stockton home with 10 overs and six wickets in hand.

Danny Cameron (51) started like an express train for Ben Johnson who posted 168 against Malton & Old Malton. The Ryedale side struggled to 100-7 but Tom Barker (27) and Shona Yates (31) put on 48 for the eighth wicket to ensure that Malton won by one wicket.

Rob Ireland (74) and debutant Matthew Hollett, who scored an unbeaten 48 off 34 balls and took three wickets, starred in Bishopthorpe’s victory against Hemingbrough.

Adrian Huetson (78) and Mark Webster (64) got Burn II to 200 for the loss of just two wickets after 35 overs against division three leaders Sessay . However, they collapsed to 218 all out against youngster James Dennis (5-50). Yorkshire Under-15 player Craig Baptist scored 90 and Andrew Dawson 89 as Sessay won with four overs to spare.

Pocklington were reduced to 25-3 at Selby before Ian Scott blasted 15 fours and three sixes in his 104. Selby replied with 114-7 as Pock ran out winners by 67 runs.

Yapham II’s Harry Jones scored 41 in his first appearance of the season before becoming the first of Sam Browne’s five wickets for Stamford Bridge II. At 83-2 and 112-3 Bridge looked well set to get the 174 required, but Rob Boddy (3-30), switched from medium pace to off spin in mid-over and took a wicket with his first ball in the new style. Ben Maycock, also spinning the ball, took 5-38 to bowl Yapham to victory.

Dunnington were reduced to 69-4 before a career-best 82 by Max Wilson got them to 224-7 against Ovington II. Ovington were struggling at 7-3 and 32-5 before recovering to 142-6 only for the last four wickets for fall for just two runs.

Clifton Alliance’s Max Thomas took 4-29 as Thorpe Willoughby II were dismissed for 132. Ran Banerjee (45) then hit a succession of boundaries to see Clifton win inside 30 overs.

Press Performance of the Week: Ian Scott’s 104 pulled Pocklington out of the mire to record victory against Selby in division three.