Oliver Hairs marked a sensational debut with a century for York Cricket Club in their 203-run win over Appleby Frodingham in the Solly Sports ECB Yorkshire County Premier League.

The home side batting, having won the toss, were 14-1 when Hairs arrived to join opener Duncan Snell (58) at the crease.

When he departed the score was 173-2, the pair adding 159 runs in just over 30 overs.

His innings was a combination of placement and power. Having reached 50 off 36 balls, he then struck three sixes from the first over of visiting spinner Matt Fowler.

Snell passed the half-century mark in the same over of the partnership.

Having brought up his century off 99 balls with a four Hairs tried a repeat two balls later only to be caught on the boundary edge for 104.

The fall of the wicket brought in Alex Collins (72).

His third half-century in four innings pushed the score beyond 200, and a quickfire partnership of 60 with his captain Marcus Wood (25) pushed the score on to 290-5.

Collins was last out as the second victim of the visitors’ stand-in captain, Nick White, who had the dubious honour of conceding 100 runs from his 19 overs. York closed on 300-6 from 55 overs.

Appleby Frodingham, in the face of the daunting target, offered little resistance.

Only one batsman of the first eight – Rob Powell (29) – made double figures. Jake Murphy (2-18) reduced them to 36-2, then a combination of Nick Kay (5-33) and Tom Pringle (3-15) proved unplayable.

In the space of just four overs the pair took six wickets for just nine runs.

Two of the six dismissals were caught by Hairs, the first off Kay, snatched one-handed at head height in the slips. The second was a sharp chance at short leg off Pringle.

A brief flurry by Keiran Watson (17no) and Paul Hilton (22) added 37 for the ninth wicket.

But it simply delayed the inevitable. In less than 30 overs the Clifton Parkers had dismissed their visitors for just 97.

The win kept York top of the Premier League table with the next league match at Sheffield United on Saturday, noon start.

Meanwhile, York CC beat Gateshead Fell CC in the first round of the ECB National Knockout Cup by six wickets.

Ryan McKendry starred with the ball taking 6-28, reducing the home side to 129 all out. York then charged to victory inside 24 overs thanks to older brother Liam McKendry’s 63no.

A full report of the cup success will appear in tomorrow’s edition of The Press.