GOOLE Town increased their advantage at the top of Hunters York & District Senior League division one with a narrow win at Heworth - their third on the bounce.
A 76-run fifth-wicket partnership between Neil Martin (31) and Guy Wilkinson (52) was the highlight of the hosts’ total of 151 all out as Andy Coulbeck (3-27) and Ben Lamb (3-14) both picked up three wickets.
Opener Ben Earl (44) got Town’s reply off to a solid start before becoming Stephen Lawrence's (4-23) first victim. He reduced the visitors to 87-5, though they recovered and won by two wickets.
Woodhouse Grange's unbeaten start to the season continued as they went second, despite missing out on maximum points at Welton.
Declan Eastwood (43) and Matthew Durkin (31) helped the visitors build a useful total of 234-8, but it was Sam Beales' 4-25 that ensured they kept control of the match.
Chris Goodwin (40), James Windeatt (39) and Luke Hills (37) all made useful runs but the side were still 42 runs behind with eight wickets down by the close.
Both Bolton Percy and Carlton Towers went above Knaresborough, whose game against Harrogate has been postponed.
Bolton Percy opener Jacob Green finished 100 not out as they reached 235-7 at home to Dringhouses, for whom Tom Storr took 3-34.
The visitors struggled from the off. Thomas Anderson (3-22) picked up three wickets early in their reply and, when Danny White claimed the wicket of top scorer Gary Wilson (21), the writing was on the wall. White finished with 5-18 from just 6.1 overs as the hosts continue to fight back from the disappointment of last season's relegation.
Carlton Towers narrowly missed out on promotion in 2018, and the early signs are that they will again be challenging at the top of the table after inflicting a second successive defeat on Clifton Alliance, winning by five wickets.
Opener Hayden Bradley got Alliance off to a strong start before Rob Holah (4-26) struck back for the hosts.
Jamie Butt dominated the second half of the innings, making 63 from 58 balls before becoming the final wicket to fall with the score on 209.
The hosts lost wickets at regular intervals during the reply but a dominant display from Henry Bayston guided them home. The opener finished unbeaten on 103.
A century opening partnership between Driffield Town’s Paul Clappison (34) and his captain Jonathan Fisher (83), followed by a run-a-ball 34 from Richard Medforth and James Barron's 4-59 all unfortunately counted for very little as the game at Kings Mill Road was abandoned at the interval, with visitors Hornsea having scored 250-7 before the rain arrived.
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