WOODHOUSE Grange are the new leaders of Hunters ECB Yorkshire Premier League North – but it was an anxious afternoon for last season’s runners-up as they were pushed all the way at Clifton Alliance.
Openers Andrew Bilton (54) and Simon Tennant (30) put on 74 but the rest of the line-up found it tough going, Liam Green taking 3-16 as the visitors reached 188-8 from 50 overs.
Josh Jackson claimed three early wickets to give the visitors the advantage after the break. But once Matthew Montgomery (51) had shared solid partnerships with Samuel Grant (34) and Jacob Turp (38) the hosts needed 48 from the final ten overs with five wickets in hand.
With the match seemingly in the balance Tom Neal returned to the attack. His spell included three wickets in five balls to end the match with the hosts still 19 runs short.
Sheriff Hutton Bridge ended Dunnington’s four-match winning run with a Karl Carver inspired victory at Moor Farm.
The former leaders were indebted to a sixth wicket partnership between George Drury (44no) and Luke Kilby (45) worth 74 after Carver had taken three early wickets. Their efforts left the home side chasing 174 to claim their fourth win in five matches.
Bridge opener Louis Foxton scored a second successive Saturday half-century to hold the early part of the reply together as Luke Kilby (3-41) picked up three wickets.
Carver, who played a key role with the bat in last Monday’s victory over Stamford Bridge, once again came to the fore – finishing unbeaten on 51 at the hosts wrapped up a seven-wicket win with eight balls to spare.
Matthew Revis (50) and George Hill (59) continued their excellent recent form with the bat, both scoring half-centuries to help lift Yorkshire Academy up to third following a seven-wicket win over Scarborough at Weetwood.
The pair were part of a dominant batting display from the home side which also featured a 60-run opening stand between Finlay Bean (30) and Harry Duke (34).
That came in reply to the visitors’ total of 200-7 which owed a great deal to their former captain Ben Elvidge whose second century in YLN came off 132 balls, including 12 fours. It held together an innings in which all seven bowlers used by the home side picked up a wicket apiece.
Castleford left it late to secure a dramatic victory at Low Catton Road against Stamford Bridge, with David Wainwright striking the winning boundary off the penultimate ball of the match.
The former captain batted through having opened the innings and remained unbeaten on 116 not out.
Apart from an 84-run second wicket partnership with Umair Khan (37) the chase was almost entirely a solo effort as Ryan McKendry worked to keep the game close, taking 3-37 from 13 overs as the hosts looked to defend a total of 213-6.
Wainwright (3-35) had himself picked up three wickets including both openers but not before they had added 85 for the first wicket – Jonny Rawsthorne and Kyle Waite making 43 and 31 respectively which Zac Keune followed with an unbeaten 65.
The Savile Park side's second victory of the campaign was enough to lift them out of the bottom two, with their place taken by Clifton Alliance.
Defending champions York picked up maximum points for the first time in 2019 as they bowled out Beverley Town to win by 81 runs at Norwood Park.
After choosing to bat first the visitors took full advantage, the top three of Duncan Snell (31), Jack Leaning (46) and James Billington (30) helping lay the foundation for an unbroken partnership of 73 between Chris Booth (54no) and Charlie Elliot (40no) which lifted the total to 245-4.
Harry Gamble provided stubborn resistance, making a 50 for the home side, and skipper Andrew Burton made a defiant 33 but the visitors were not to be denied, with Tom Spearman (3-22) rounding off the match with the last three wickets.
Sri Lankan Ishan Abeysekara claimed the competition’s best bowling figures of the season to date, taking seven for 40.
But the Harrogate spinner finished on the losing side as Sessay continued their climb away from the foot of the table with a 75-run victory at St George’s Road.
A second-wicket partnership of 118 between Matthew Till (61) and Mark Jackson (66) provided more than half of the visitors' total of 203, both eventually succumbing to Abeysekara.
Stuart Peirse took the first four wickets as the hosts slumped to 39-4, and they struggled from that point on despite the efforts of skipper Josh Atkinson who top scored with 42.
In a match dominated by Sri Lankan spin, Navin Kavikara finished with 3-12 as the home side were bowled out for 128, their lowest total of an indifferent start to the season.
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