NORTH Cave began the defence of their HPH York Vale Cricket League division one title in impressive fashion with victory against Hirst Courtney.

Hirst totalled 166 with Craig Lawson (65) and Phil Alford scoring the bulk of the runs.

Seventeen-year-old Ollie Brett marked his Cave debut with a haul of 3-24 while Rob Page weighed in with 3-33.

The champions won by five wickets with a game-breaking third-wicket stand between John Backhouse, who notched 53, and Simon Cooke, who included some stylish cover drives in his 52.

Last year’s second division champions Fulfordgate went down by five wickets at Burn.

Gate found Burn’s tidy bowling attack difficult to put away and were bowled out for 122 with Jamie Bingle (3-23) and Graeme Parker (3-28) leading the way. Max Henderson top-scored with an unbeaten 32.

Burn were coasting at 76-1 but lost four wickets for four runs, all to Alan Baldock (4-40), before patient opener Norman Elliott (48 not out) and big-hitting Parker (29no) saw them home without any further alarms.

The other promoted sides, Askham Bryan and Kelfield, were also beaten on their returns to the top flight.

Askham Bryan could not handle Bishopthorpe fast bowler Ian Holmes as they chased 201 for victory.

Earlier Holmes (43no) and Ben Smith (47) shared an 85-run partnership in 15 overs after Ross Kelly (32) had done much of the initial hard graft. Pete Wood took 3-53 and Adrian Stipetic’s leg-breaks earned him 3-43.

Stipetic, playing his first game since 2011 after surgery on a dislocated shoulder then hit 61, but Askham’s middle order were ripped out by Holmes, who finished with figures of 11-4-21-6, as Bishopthorpe ran out 91-run winners.

Stockton & Hopgrove proved just a bit too strong for Kelfield whose bowlers Sam Dunn (3-32), Martyn Rhodes (3-39) and Karl Walker (3-47) did well to restrict their opponents to 171.

It could have been worse for Stockton, who slipped from 38-0 to 71-4 before Steve Fraser (37) and Kalum Perera (37) engineered a recovery – Perera including three sixes in his knock.

Kelfield’s top order was under pressure from the Stockton & Hopgrove bowlers early on and were eventually all out for 139, Neil Atkinson top-scoring with 29. Dan Fairclough (3-18) and man-of-the-match Perera (3-29) were Stockton & Hopgrove’s most successful bowlers.

Hemingbrough, who lost prolific run-makers Matty Clark and Michael Smales to Selby and bowler Glen Crouch to Civil Service in the off-season, lost by 103 runs at Ovington.

The York side posted a healthy 232-7 thanks to Barry Steel (77) and Chris Tune (52). Ricky Noble followed his 4-48 for Hemingbrough with a top score of 32 but lacked support. Alistair Souch (4-30) and Tom Cookson (3-11) were Ovington’s most successful bowlers.

 

The Press performance of the week

Veteran Roy Atkinson (102 not out) for his maiden ton in Copmanthorpe’s crushing win against Malton & Old Malton.