York Cricket Club travelled to Chester-le-Street, for their second round tie, in the ECB National Club Championship, but came away disappointed.
Having got themselves into a position to win the game, they came up just short losing by 32 runs.
The home side won the toss and had no hesitation in batting first.
York opened with a combination of pace and seam and it proved successful, as first the pace of Jake Murphy (3-47), then the spin of Dan Woods (1-28) accounted for Street’s openers, 42 for 2.
A fine display in the field restricted the scoring, it taking until the 18th over before the total passed the 50 mark.
Andrew Smith (58) and John Coxon (21) had taken the score onto 111-3, when captain Marcus Wood introduced Duncan Snell (2-41) into the attack.
The move paid instant dividends as the dangerous Smith gave a return catch the bowler off his first delivery and four balls later a successful lbw appeal made it 112-5.
Home team skipper Quentin Hughes (25) and Chris Martin (42 no) made valuable contributions, but had it not been for 45 runs taken from the last four overs of the innings the target would have been much less than the 214, from 45 overs, set.
York’s reply got off to the best possible start, the home attack having no answer as Liam McKendry (44) and Duncan Snell (52) put on a century opening stand inside 19 overs.
With the pair seemingly in control Richard Waite (2-31) struck a double blow.
First McKendry was caught in the deep for 108-1, which became 115-2 in his next over when Snell was adjudged lbw.
It was a double strike from which York, not helped by injuries to Nick Kay, requiring the services of a runner, and Andy Tute batting down the order with a badly swollen hand, damaged while fielding, never really recovered.
Having lost their earlier momentum the visitors found it increasingly difficult to score and both Andrew Smith (2- 26) and Quentin Hughes (3-35) benefited as batsmen got out trying to keep the scoreboard turning over.
The final two wickets both fell with the score on 182 in the 42nd over, leaving York to reflect on what could, or perhaps should, have been.
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