Covid cancellations lead to points switch

The Hunters ECB Yorkshire Premier League North title looks set be determined by the average points earned per game method after two games were cancelled due to covid infections and the possibility of more to follow. Yorkshire Academy players have been required to form a bubble to protect their playing status which meant the cancellation of their game against Scarborough and the game between Clifton Alliance and Stamford Bridge was also called off during the week. Top of the table Castleford’s game at home to Harrogate was also called of but for the more traditional reason of the weather, heavy rain meaning no play was possible, so the hosts advantage was trimmed slightly under the new points system, but they remain top, whilst Harrogate’s average improved slightly but they remain bottom. 

 

Driffield Town continued their resurgence with a third consecutive victory despite a century from Acomb’s Darius D’Silva at Kings Mill Road. The visitors reached 199-5 from 38 overs the innings also including a second half-century of the season from Darcy O’Connor (51), who put on 129 for the fourth wicket with D’Silva, whose century was the first for his club in the competition. Town’s overseas signing Randeera Ranasingha (3-57) picked up three wickets to go alongside last week’s four against Stamford Bridge and his wickets could prove crucial as the side look to climb clear of the relegation places. Weather interruptions meant the home side faced an adjusted target of 221 under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method. They were reduced to 28-3 before Danny Broumpton (42) joined young opener Noah Kelly at the wicket the pair resurrecting the innings with a stand worth 72, but then Darcy O’Connor (3-77) looked to have swung the match back towards his side with three quick wickets. The real drama came at the end of the contest as an unbroken match-winning partnership of 69 between Jordan Caley (38no) and Jamie Greavson (38no) spanning the final eight overs secured victory with three balls of the match remaining. 

 

A half-century from Sheriff Hutton Bridge skipper turned out to be the decisive innings as his side inflicted a third successive defeat on former league leaders Dunnington. The game at Moor Farm was affected by the weather and ended up being a 32 over a side contest. Fisher alongside his younger brother Mark (28) shared an opening stand of 73, the captain reached his fifty off 56 balls, then a cluster of wickets followed his run out leading to a total of 148-7. The visitors were asked to chase 161 for victory and were always in the game however no one was able to match Fisher’s efforts, Jack Bolam came closest with 29 but wickets fell at regular intervals and the hosts came out on top by 14 runs to gain revenge for the defeat suffered in the reverse fixture on the opening day of the season. 

 

York kept up their record of never having lost a league game at Sandhill Lane as they beat Woodhouse Grange by 28 runs. Simon Lambert (32) and Finlay Bean (27) made useful runs at the top of the order for the visitors, but they found themselves on 107-6 following three wickets from James Finch (3-30) and two from Josh Jackson (2-32). A crucial partnership of 64 between Tom Brooks (25) and Oliver Leedham (39) gave their side the upper hand in tricky batting conditions and despite been bowled out for 191, Tom Neal finishing with 3-64, the pressure was on the home side. They looked to be going well with Christopher Wood (31) and Christopher Bilton at the wicket in the early stages and were 76-1 when Wood became the first of four wickets for teenage spinner Clarke Doughney (4-42). Only one of the last seven batters for the home side reached double figures as Bilton tried to hold the innings together with a determined 73 and he was last out with the score on 163, Tom Forsdike (3-18) sealing the win with the final three wickets. 

 

Report by Kevin Hutchinson