League Leaders Made To Fight All The Way

League leaders York were made to fight all the way by Harrogate to keep top spot as the home side came within 14 runs of victory at St George’s Road. The visitors were indebted to skipper Ryan McKendry who finished his sides innings unbeaten on 65 in a total of 188-6, with Duncan Snell the next best with 37, Ishan Abeysekara taking 4-43 including the wicket of Snell. The hosts made a strong start through openers Isaac Light (28) and Sanjay Mani (33) and it took three wickets from Darcy O’Connor (3-48) to keep to game in the balance. Benjamin Moss looked set to carry the home side to victory until Jonathan Moxon (5-22) returned to the attack late on taking four of the last five wickets to fall as 125-8 finished as 174 all out. 

 

Second place Driffield Town had no such difficulties keeping up the pressure or the league leaders as they brushed aside Beverley Town by 201 runs at Kings Mill Road. Alec Drury (46) and Owen Goldsworthy (127) began the innings with a stand of 125, and further half-centuries from both George (51) and Sam Drury (57) built the total up to 232-5. The visitors managed just 122 in reply Jacob Hunter top scored with 34 whilst Mayank Mishra returned to the side taking 5-47 and Nick Hardgrave took 3-10. 

 

In the battle between third and fourth third-place Sheriff Hutton Bridge came out on top marginally despite a fine all-rounder’s performance from the visitors South African Breidyn Schaper who finished with 3-45 and an unbeaten 113, his three wickets were three of the first four to fall which broke the opener stand of 85 between Louis Foxton (44) and Mark Fisher (44) worth 85. Ashley Watson (35) and Avish Patel (31no) added valuable runs lower down the order as Adam Newington weighed in with four wickets (4-38). Schaper, batting at three, lacked the support to get the visitors home and three wickets from Ashley Watson (3-40) took three key wickets to help seal a crucial win to maintain third place. 

 

The mid-table contest between Woodhouse Grange and Castleford at Savile Park went the way of visitors Woodhouse Grange in a low scoring contest in which Christopher Bilton played the dominant role with an unbeaten 69 in a total of 138-5 as the hosts had earlier been restricted to just 137-9. Connor Hyde top scored for the homes side with 40 and Christopher Suddaby finished as the pick of the bowers with 4-40 from 13 overs. 

 

Sessay boosted their survival hopes with a second successive victory and at the same time inflicting a fifth straight defeat on Acomb. Openers Mark Wilkie (33) and Matthew Till (20) put on 50 for the hosts but it was a half-century from Mark Jackson and 48 from Nasir Jamal who really helped built a substantial total of 236, despite five wickets from Monty Dodsworth (5-56). Edward Wade contributed 53 for the visitors and Tom Olson added 33 but three wickets each from Liam Carver (3-39) and Ben Kettlewell (3-31) kept the hosts in control for a second straight win.