League Record by Udayanga & Collins helps set up win

League leaders York maintained their perfect start to the season with a fifth straight win, the latest one coming by eight wickets against Beverley Town at Clifton Park. The visitors had looked to be reasonably placed at 82-2 but once South African overseas signing David Christie was dismissed the side lost its last seven wickets for just 47 runs to close on 129, the spin pairing of Darcy O’Connor (4-36) and Dave Brent (4-21) sharing eight wickets between them. An unbroken partnership of 71 for the third wicket secured the points William Wade finishing unbeaten on 40 alongside Jonathan Tattersall on 46 not out. 

 

Driffield Town kept up the pressure on the league leaders with a ten-wicket win at The Green against Acomb. The home side got off to a strong start after being put in to bat with an opening partnership worth 60 between Joe Schofield and captain Matthew Dale but there after the innings fell apart four wickets falling in the space of eight runs. Mayank Mishra finished with 5-31, the Indian’s third five wicket haul in four weeks, four of the batters failing to register a run, and Nick Hardgrave (4-10) also picked up four wickets. Owen Goldsworthy (70no) and Alec Drury (37no) reached the target the victory of 112 in the 19th over to secure a fourth win. 

 

An unbroken second wicket stand of 128 between Oliver Stephenson (65no) and overseas signing Breidyn Schaper (69no) secured Scarborough a nine-wicket victory at home to Castleford as the defending champions continue to struggle for consistency. Opener Luke Edwards scored 30 for the visitors who then had to rely on David Wainwright after they slumped to 64-5. The skipper made 57 sharing a partnership of 69 for the sixth wicket with Alex Kaye but three wickets from Ben Elvidge (3-27) and a total of 162 was insufficient to prevent a straight-forward victory for the hosts. 

 

A new league record seventh wicket partnership between Dulash Udayanga (79) and Freddie Collins (58) worth 117 rescued Sheriff Hutton Bridge at Moor Farm and ultimately help set up what had appeared an unlikely victory. The pair helped the hosts recover from 56-6 to post a total of 188, but as the visitors reached 86-0 thanks to Isaac Light (45) and Henry Thompson (33) the result looked likely to go their way. Instead, four wickets from Ashley Watson (4-41) and three for Avish Patel (3-33) turned the game around the hosts winning comfortably in the end by 29 runs to leave Harrogate among a trio of side with a single win. 

 

On a day of low scoring throughout the division Woodhouse Grange fared by far the worst being bowled out 67 the lowest by a side in this season’s competition. Their cause was not helped when Andrew Bilton was forced to retire early on but four wickets from Samuel Grant (4-21) and two each from David Friend and Scott Hopkinson meant the situation never improved, Tom Young down the order top scoring with 20 of the final total. Hopkinson (38no) combined with Andrew Whaites (25) with a partnership of 57 and the visitors won by eight wickets inside 20 overs, to record a fourth win in five games at Sandhill Lane. 

 

By Kevin Hutchinson