Caley's super six sinks Stamford

With scores level Jordan Caley struck a six off the last ball of the HUNTERS ECB YORKSHIRE PREMIER LEAGUE NORTH match at Low Catton Road to give Driffield Town a much need victory over Stamford Bridge. The visitors’ new arrival Randeera Ranasingha (4-41) made an immediate impact with a wicket nine balls into his debut and finished with four including the key one of the hosts top scorer Jack Timby (38). James Pick contributed 37 before becoming the first of three wickets for Nicky Johnson (3-47) as the home side were bowled out for 159. Teenage opener Noah Kelly held the visitors reply together making 42 from 129 balls and was ninth out with five still required for victory. James Keast finished with figures of 3-40 but spare a thought for Will Robertson who conceded only one run from 17 balls in the closing stages before Caley’s decisive blow. 

 

Castleford beat Dunnington to enhance their position as league leaders and the match at Common Lane between the top two in the competition certainly lived up to expectations. Jonathan Anderson (5-51) took five wickets for the home side as they restricted the visitors to 171-7, which included a fourth wicket stand of 62 between Connor Hyde (35) and Christopher Briggs (41). The hosts slumped to 82 for eight in reply, and despite the absence of talismanic captain David Wainwright in their ranks Castleford looked to be heading for a comfortable victory. Doubt was cast on the result by a partnership of 69 for the ninth wicket between Matt Beckett (44) and Dave Brent (24no) and it was beginning to look like the pair would snatch an unlikely victory until Rees (3-41) dismissed Beckett and Hyde (4-44) completed a memorable all-round performance capturing the final wicket to clinch a 16-run win. 

 

Yorkshire Academy are up to second in the table, their highest league position since 2017, following a nail-biting victory over Clifton Alliance who missed out on a first ever win against their hosts by just seven runs. Opener Matthew Weston stood firm for the hosts making 71 as wickets tumbled and a stand with James Mukherjee (29) of 66 in the middle of the innings proved crucial with Samuel Grant (4-21) and Scott Hopkinson (4-42) sharing eight wickets as the home side were dismissed for 150. Andrew Simpson (29) helped provide a solid base to the ’Alliance response but from 62-0 they were rocked by three quick wickets from Sam Wisniewski (4-36) and despite Samuel Grant’s (35) valiant effort to guide his side to victory the hosts held their nerve to complete a fourth consecutive victory. 

 

After being bowled out cheaply themselves last week Acomb bounced back at The Green to inflict a similar fate on title rivals Woodhouse Grange. The visitors came under early pressure but looked to have weathered the storm reaching 44-3, but when Christopher Bilton was out for 24 the batting collapsed in spectacular fashion six wickets falling for the addition of just five runs. Their total of 49, the second lowest in the competition’s history, came 20.4 overs with Chris Aplin (5-25) and Darius D’Silva (5-23) both bowling unchanged throughout the innings. Acomb’s victory lifts them back into the top three whilst a third straight defeat for Woodhouse Grange means they drop to fifth. 

 

A century stand between Tommy Hudson (90) and Dulash Udayanga (71) helped Sheriff Hutton Bridge continue their revival with a four wicket win at North Marine Road which ended Scarborough’s recent run of good form. The visitors chased down the hosts total of 217-8 with six overs to spare, Hudson’s innings coming on the back of a century last week and his Sri Lankan partner passing 50 for the third time in 2021. Young opener Cian Dickinson had earlier scored a half-century for the hosts, with James Wainman (38) and Pat Roberts (44) adding to the total late on before both fell to Dave Henstock (3-52). 

 

Harrogate remain in the relegation places but are now level on points with fellow strugglers Clifton Alliance as they recorded their first win of the season beating York by 61 runs at St George’s Road. Ross Sedgley (40) and Ollie Horberry (46) ensured there was enough momentum in the innings for the home side to reach 212 despite three wickets from Tom Forsdike (3-55) and four wickets late on from Jack Charters (4-51). The visitors found themselves 52-5 in reply Dominic Bradburne (3-25) with three early strikes. Ishan Abeysekara (3-21) once again featured with the ball for the home side taking his wickets total for the season to 22 as the visitors were dismissed for 151, which would have been considerably less had it not been for stand-in skipper Duncan Snell’s 35th YPLN half-century. 

 

Report by Kevin Hutchinson