HUNTERS ECB Yorkshire Premier League North 
Premier League review 
The highly anticipated clash between the top two sides in the Hunters ECB Yorkshire Premier League North became the latest game to be cancelled due to covid, problems in the Castleford camp denying Yorkshire Academy the chance to close the gap on the league leaders. 
 
Christopher Bilton scored a Premier League club record 142 not out as Woodhouse Grange moved back up to third in the table with a comprehensive victory against Driffield Town at Sandhill Lane, the home side winning by 132 runs. James Anson took 5-40 for the visitors but was unable to dislodge Bilton who put on 93 with Christopher Suddaby and 73 with Tom Neal (20no) as they reached 256-7 having been 85-5 at one stage. The visitors never looked like challenging that total, Jack Oakley (34) and Jamie Greavson (30) offered some resistance for the competition’s bottom side who were bowled out for 124, Tom Neal (4-56) and James Finch (4-47) each taking four wickets. 
 
Dunnington ended a five-match losing run winning at home to local rivals Stamford Bridge by two wickets, but with just four balls to spare. Skipper Dave Brent was very much the hero of the hour scoring an unbeaten 30 to see his side home as part of a 50-run unbroken ninth wicket partnership with former ‘Bridge captain Matt Beckett. That came after Luke Kilby (70) had rescued the innings with his third half-century of the season, as the side recovered from 12-3 to chase down a target of 192. Brent also played a major part with the ball capturing five wickets including Jack Timby (35), Salman Syed (43) and Liam Burgess (58) the latter pair having put on 101 for the visitors after Adam Sutcliffe (3-39) had taken three wickets early on. A third defeat leaves Stamford Bridge just one place above the relegation places with seven rounds of matches remaining. 
 
A second century of the season by Darius D’Silva (131no) in a high scoring match at The Green helped Acomb record their first win in over a month. The Emirati international in partnership with opener William Wade (96) smashed the club’s record partnership for any premier league wicket with a stand worth 192, and once Wade was out put on an unbeaten 64 with Darcy O’Connor (32no) as the hosts reached 291-2to win with eight balls to spare. That came in response to Scarborough’s own high quality batting performance in which the top three all made sizable contributions. Openers Oliver Stephenson (94) and Duncan Brown (71) shared a stand of 107, then Stephenson added a further 129 with Breidyn Schaper (69) who passed 50 for the second Saturday in a row but this time finished on the losing side as the visitors slipped from third to fifth in the standings. 
 
Sheriff Hutton Bridge won for the third consecutive occasion at Clifton Park beating their hosts York by 30 runs, Sri Lankan all-rounder Dulash Udayanga playing a key role for the visitors. Tommy Hudson showed why he is among the competitions leading run scorers this season with 78 and he shared a crucial partnership with Udayanga (43) before the home side fought back stand in skipper Simon Lambert (4-29) and Tom Backhouse (4-27) each taking four wickets to restrict the visitors to 192 all out. Bridge’s overseas signing took four top order wickets including Lambert who top scored with 41 but his side were unable to build partnerships and were eventually dismissed for 162, the last four wickets coming in the space of as many overs. 
 
Despite both being involved in the battle to avoid relegation Harrogate and Clifton Alliance went into their game at St George’s Road in good form, but it was the visitors who increased their winning run to four matches as they strive to pull away from the bottom two. Scott Hopkinson took five wickets and scored 80 runs in what turned out to be a one-sided contest. The home side reached 158 with Henry Thompson (36) and Ross Sedgley (32) the main contributors, in reply Hopkinson and Andrew Whaits (73) put on a second wicket partnership of 120 from 24 overs, and although the opener was out with victory in sight his efforts had secured what could yet prove to be a vital victory. 
 
Report by Kevin Hutchinson 
 
 
 
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