Hunters York and District Senior Cricket League round-up

They defied the rains to beat struggling Hornsea by 64 runs in a reduced overs game at the Recreation Ground.

Pickering started the game a mere 19 points ahead of their bottom placed opponents but the victory saw them move into seventh place while leaving their visitors footing the division.

With the game reduced to 42 overs, Pickering’s 246-4 represented a fluent run rate which was due to Craig Aconley’s 86 coupled with 64 by Mark Shepherd and 44 from Dave Greenlay.

When Hornsea replied Adam Dilley struck 72, but Rob Aconley claimed 3-43 before Ben Wallis was left unbeaten with 45 when his side’s last man fell at 182.

The match between fourth-placed Stamford Bridge and second-placed Sessay also suffered a reduction in overs due to a heavy shower.

This saw Bridge make 156-7 in 37 overs with Dave Bradshaw and Dave Chaplin each making 37 and Matt Beckett 32 not out.

There were three wickets apiece for Steve Langstaff (3-55) and Stuart Peirse (3-37) for Sessay whose successful reply of 160-6 was reached with three balls to spare. Richard Till was their batting hero with an unbeaten 66 while Matt Till chipped in with 29. Dave Chaplin proved his all-round value by taking 4-45.

While Pickering’s first team enjoyed a winning afternoon, their second team were sent crashing to defeat in division three by York’s talented young spinner Andrew Simpson.

He produced what may well be the best figures ever recorded by an Under 15s player when his 8-14 sent Pickering spinning to a 12-run defeat.

Carl Blundell had earlier made 38 for York but a 5-22 return by Ady Boyes seemed to have put Pickering in charge as York III were all out for 135. The chances of an away victory were enhanced when Kev Wilson made 56 but Simpson then took over as he destroyed the opposition in a 9.3 over spell in which he recorded the league’s fourth hat-trick of the season as Pickering collapsed to 123 all out.

On a day when a good many sides only made modest totals following the recent rain, batsmen had a field day at Thorp Arch where a high scoring draw with Hovingham saw 514 runs scored for the loss of only ten wickets.

The hosts eventually gaining the major share of the spoils with four of their batsmen making significant scores with Mike Cole leading the way with an unbeaten 105. Earlier runs came from the bats of Andy Hawkswell 41 and Andy Griffiths 54 while, in reaching his first ton of the season, Cole had late innings support from Jim Turner who made 40 not out.

Hovingham club secretary Paul Deverell was the pick of the bowlers with 3-48. Hovingham’s reply of 246-6 featured runs from a nap hand of batsmen who all gave good accounts of themselves. Charlie Foster made 49, Alistair Thorpe 42, Richie Brown 42, Tom Lund 36 and then Deverell again got into the act with 37.

Duncombe Park’s game with Bolton Percy was washed out without a ball being bowled, each side receiving nine points.

MALTON and Old Malton’s batting line-up misfired in their Hunters York and District Senior League division one home game with Hull Zingari.

The men from the Gannock slid to an eight-wicket defeat against promotion-chasing opponents as their total of 116-9 was never in the competitive bracket.

Gary Hall’s 28 was the only notable contribution as Andy Hamson with 4-33 and Matt Scarr 3-45 put the Humbersiders in charge. This supremacy was then driven home by Mark Thompson with 38 and Alistair Markham, who was unbeaten with 31.

Sheriff Hutton Bridge’s innings was interrupted after five overs and the game subsequently reduced to 33 overs.

Phil Stothard with 29 and Paul Oldfield (39) laid a good foundation, but later batsmen only met with limited success as Ripon bowlers Andy Cook 4-51 and Gary Blackburn 3-49 put their side back on par as the home innings closed on 158-9.

Skipper Blackburn then followed with 46 but Jamie Hopper took 4-36 and spinner Dave Gilbertson also grabbed four victims, at a cost of 41, as Ripon were bowled out for 110.

Folkton and Flixton finally managed to transfer their fine form in the National Village Trophy into their league performance when they had a good five-wicket victory at York which not only boosts the Scarborough side’s chances of survival but increases the relegation threat to the Shipton Road side.

Youngster Matthew Wilks was York’s top scorer with 37, while Mike Mortimer added 27. Flixton’s Ben Elvidge, having represented Yorkshire Under-17s in the age group two-day County Championship fixture against Durham at Stamford Bridge during the week, captured 4-33 and Damon Gormley took 4-57 to terminate the York innings on 182.

Flixton were then given a cracking start by Neil Elvidge 61 and Oliver Stephenson 39 who shared an opening stand of 103. Rob Lacey’s unbeaten 39 then saw Flixton run out winners by five wickets.

Undoubtedly the biggest shock result of the day, and possibly of the season to date, saw Division 4A leaders, Welton & Brough lose their unbeaten record to Stillington in spectacular fashion.

There was no hint of the drama to come when Stillington moved to 143-5 in a game reduced to 37 overs. Batsmen Barry Milburn with 70 and Toby Wells 36no had seemingly encountered no gremlins in pitch at Welton’s Common Lane ground.

However, the ball ruled over the bat in no uncertain manner after the tea break when Mike Kay with 5-18 and Adrian Leckonby, who had figures of 4-6, tore the home side to shreds and, in dismissing them for a paltry 38 left the home side licking their wounds.

Martin Hatton made an unbeaten 50 when Hornsea batted first at home to Malton & Old Malton. Other batsmen found runs at a premium as Martin Hodgson’s 3-23 kept the home total down to a manageable 130-9. However, this proved to be more than adequate when Malton, for whom Lester Parkin made 28, were bowled out for 109 with Ian Wilson taking 4-23.

With Division 4B leaders Sheriff Hutton clicking their heels in a free week, Sessay went joint top by virtue of their nine points reward from their unstarted game against Osbaldwick.

The side enjoying the discomfort of their rivals was Sheriff Hutton Bridge who, by winning by four wickets at Dunnington closed to within one point of the two joint leaders.

Steve Young (37) and Neil Wilson (44) figured prominently as Dunnington reached 161-9 during which Dave Houldridge claimed 3-43 and Matthew Prosser 3-38 for SHB. Bridge’s successful reply was based on 43 from Eddie Hull and 45 by Geoff Schofield, who jointly warded off the threat posed by Richard Hollingsworth, whose 3-40 built on his earlier unbeaten 24.

Relegation-haunted Stillington II were denied the chance of picking up points against one of the division’s other lesser rated sides, Stamford Bridge II, when their fixture was abandoned without a ball being possible due to a waterlogged ground.

The game on the attractive Sheriff Hutton ground was reduced to 30 overs after a heavy shower and saw leaders Thirsk emerge with a three-wicket victory to maintain their 40- point advantage in Division Five B.

Under-14 player Dave Hull was Sheriff’s top scorer with 38 while John Armitage added 29 in a home total of 120-8 which saw Mark Nursey claim 4-30. K Fenwick then hit 41 to set up Thirsk’s success as Mick Bradley claimed 4-35 in a game which benefited from both sides providing official umpires.

Second-placed Huntington’s victory at Hovingham was clinched with a six after the home side had been dismissed for 138. James Wainwright made 43 for the Hall side but the ascendancy was earned by Tom Shaw with 4-51 and Bracken Holtby who took 3-52. Paul Higginbottom retaliated with 3-32 but Jack Hugill made 45 before Richard Shaw concluded the proceedings in Huntington’s favour with an unbeaten 46.