DUNCAN SNELL provided a batting masterclass to guide York Cricket Club into the semi-finals of the Solly Sports Yorkshire ECB County Premier League Knockout Cup.

The left-handed opener scored an unbeaten century, including 13 fours and two sixes, in a seven-wicket victory over South Yorkshire visitors Barnsley.

Chasing a victory target of 218 from 50 overs, the home side were always in control.

Snell (100no) and Liam McKendry (55) put on 119 from 28 overs for the opening wicket before the latter was adjudged lbw.

Oliver Hairs’ innings of 23 lasted only 20 balls, but his five fours ensured momentum was maintained. When he departed, the score had moved on to 155-2 in the 35th over.

The Clifton Park side were always in touch with the required run rate and Alex Collins (26) helped Snell add 41 to the total before he became the third York batsman to be given out lbw.

Barnsley’s bowlers toiled in vain to get on top and only Yorkshire’s Oliver Hannon-Dalby kept the scoring in check, his ten overs costing just 24 runs.

The rest could find no response to Snell, who began his 129-ball stay at the crease with a boundary and finished it with a match-winning straight six, bringing up his personal milestone at the same time.

His innings came in response to the visitors’ total of 217 all out, with ten balls of their allotted overs remaining.

Skipper Jason Booth (38) got his side off to an excellent start, putting on 96 in 17 overs before being trapped lbw by spinner Tom Pringle (4-40).

His opening partner, Simon Widdup (59), could then only stand and watch as Pringle added a second wicket in his next over, and Ryan McKendry (1-22 off ten overs) reduced a promising position to 107-3.

Worse was to come a couple of overs later as Widdup gave a soft return catch to Pringle and, when Andy Tute took a one-handed diving slip catch, the innings had subsided to 114-5.

Richard Wilkinson (55) and Matthew Wilson (24) took back the initiative from the bowlers, the pair seeing the score past 200 during their 20-over stand of 91.

An accurate throw from Snell found Wilson short of his ground attempting a second run to break the partnership.

Liam McKendry (3-29) weighed in at the end with timely wickets and another Snell run-out prevented Barnsley seeing out the full quota of overs.

The result was the perfect fillip following the disappointment of Saturday when a waterlogged pitch at Hull meant no play was possible in their league match.

That result subsequently saw York overtaken by Rotherham at the head of the table as the South Yorkshire side played one of their two games in hand on Sunday, beating Sheffield Collegiate by 115 runs.