Academy back in action but Cas stay top

Yorkshire Academy returned to action, following an enforced covid break, and carried on where they had left off with an emphatic victory against Stamford Bridge, the visitors winning at Low Catton Road by 117 runs. Harry Finch (59) marked his first appearance in the competition with a half-century. That followed a stand of 84 for the second wicket between Matthew Weston (34) and Harry Allinson (46). Bridge wicket-keeper Jack Timby had a hand in four wickets two in combination with Liam Burgess who finished with 4-45 including the wickets of both Weston and Finch the visitors reaching 220-9 for their 50 overs. Opener Timby (31) was top scorer in the hosts reply, a disappointing 103 all out, all six bowlers used by the visitors contributed at least one wicket, but Harry Sullivan was the pick maintain his place among the competitions leading wicket takers with 3-17. 

 

David Wainwright kept Castleford in pole position in the Hunters ECB Yorkshire Premier League North title race with an outstanding performance taking six wickets for ten runs from 13 overs at Savile Park as Woodhouse Grange, one of their nearest challengers, were bowled out for 121. The league leaders looked to be in trouble as they found themselves 61-5, with Josh Jackson and James Finch both in the wickets early on. Connor Hyde (37) and Edward Cole (50) rescued the innings with a partnership of 90 before a second flurry of wickets saw them close on 185-9, skipper Finch finishing with 3-36 and Jackson 5-58. The captain then top scored with 45 out of the sides total of 121, the last eight wickets falling in the space of 36 runs. 

 

Scarborough are up to third in the table, their highest position of the season to date, following a tense victory over Dunnington, the match at North Marine Road going down to the final couple of overs. The early part of the visitors’ innings was dominated by Alec Drury (75) who formed useful partnerships with Jack Bolam (30) and Adam Sutcliffe (37), but the hosts were able to fight back through Ben Elvidge (3-51) and James Wainman, who picked up his first five wicket haul for the club finishing with 5-46 from 7.2 overs. That left the home side chasing 196 to win and it was largely down to Breidyn Schaper that they made it with 11 balls to spare, the South African youngster finishing unbeaten on 66, George Drury took 3-28 and the were a couple of wickets each for Jonathan Anderson and Dave Brent the later capturing the wicket of Ben Elvidge (36) helped Schaper in the early part of the chase. A fifth consecutive defeat means Dunnington have dropped from second in the standings to fifth over the last month. 

 

Outside of the top two Clifton Alliance are the competitions form side and a third straight win has helped lift them clear of the relegation places. Their latest victory at home to Acomb by 62 runs featured a real team effort with the bat Andrew Whaits (61) was the only batter to reach a half-century but Andrew Simpson (41), John Gilham (30) and Samuel Grant (39) all contributed before James Tindall (4-52) launched a counterattack with a hand in each of the last five wickets to fall as the hosts slip from 189-4 to 207-9 eventually reaching 230-9. The visitors lost crucial wickets early in the chase and a seventh wicket partnership of 68 between Joe (61) and Nicholas Schofield (40) almost doubled the beleaguered sides total. They were eventually bowled well short of the target Thomas Brown retuning his best figures of the season taking 4-42 

 

Harrogate continued to show the kind of form that may yet see them escape the relegation places as they beat Sheriff Hutton Bridge at Moor Farm by 33 runs. Ben Kempley (93), making only his third appearance in the league this season, narrowly missed out on a century, but was largely responsible for the visitors total of 169 all out, Dulash Udayanga (5-37) eventually capturing his wicket as part of his return of 5-37. There were also four wickets for Mark Fisher (4-40) who then opened the innings for his side scoring 30, and although elder brother Adam (30) matched his efforts the reply rather stumbled along lacking the one decisive partnership that would surely have taken them close to victory instead they were all out for 136, the league’s leading wicket-taker Ishan Abeysekara taking 4-20. 

 

Despite a century from young opener Noah Kelly (106) Driffield Town slipped to another defeat, which coupled with a recent disciplinary points deduction leaves them rooted to the foot of the table. York were indebted to a sixth wicket stand of 115 between Charlie Elliot (81) and Ted Patmore (51) which provided a timely boost after their innings stuttered following the departure of skipper Simon Lambert for 50. James Anson took 4-34 whilst Jamie Greavson’s performance with the ball was something of a double-edged sword his four wickets coming at a cost of 92 runs as the visitors reached 276 before being bowled out. In response Kelly’s innings lasted almost 42 overs and included a stand of 95 with skipper Danny Broumpton (38), and the result hung in the balance until he was dismissed by Lambert the visitors holding their nerve to clinch a 14-run win, Oliver Leedham (3-55) the pick of a six man attack who all took wickets. 

 

Report by Kevin Hutchinson