HELPERBY are now in a three-way tie for the leadership of division one after their first defeat of the Pilmoor Evening Cricket League season.

Atish Chouhan top scored with 26 in Helperby’s 117-9 against Thirsk, with Dan Marston making 19 and Joss Spilman 15 before being run out off a no ball.

Jake Petty (2-23), James Wilkinson (3-17) and Josh Peirse (2-22) did most to keep the hosts within range, then Mark Cook (32), Stuart Christon (29) and Harry Consett (16) responded for Thirsk. Helperby were kept in contention by Tom Messenger (4-31) and Mark Spilman (2-15), but Thirsk won off the penultimate ball.

Thirsk and Helperby are joined by Sheriff Hutton Bridge at the top, with Sheriff Hutton two points behind after a narrow win over Clifton Alliance.

John Armitage (20), Geoff Schofield (30), Eddie Hull (23no) and 14-year-old Josh Ainley (17no) took them to 113-6, with Matthew Mellor (3-14) bowling well for Alliance.

Joe Kilvington (29) and Allan Barton (24) showed up well in the Clifton reply, but youngster Ainley took 2-12 and Hull claimed 4-12 as Alliance closed on 107-8.

Sessay recorded their second successive win at home to struggling Alne. Batting first, they were 21-3 but a partnership between Matthew Wass (55) and Paul Flintoff (31) provided the backbone of their innings and, with Chris Till adding 22 not out, they closed on 131-7.

Alne’s Luke Vincent returned 3-16 from five tidy overs and Eddie Myers took 2-28, and it was Myers who led the Alne reply with 35. Lou Cox added 26 and Alex Buteux 19, but the visitors’ reply closed on 103-4.

Sheriff Hutton Bridge had a convincing win at Newburgh after posting a daunting 158-4, Matthew Fisher making 33, Jordan Grose 44 and David Speake 27 not out.

Newburgh opener Charles Ramsay was seventh out for 37 as his colleagues faltered against Simon Naylor (3-9) and Danny Kiernan (2-11) and were all out for 78.

In the second division, Dringhouses stepped up their challenge with two home wins in three days.

On Monday, they ran up 172-2 against Huby with runs from Chris Evans (43), Tom Owen (48) and Lewis Chipchase (49no). Mark Swales took 2-48. When Huby replied, George Elliott hit 52 retired, including six sixes, but Lewis Rennison (3-30) and George Wilson (2-15) kept Dringhouses in control as Huby were restricted to 116-7.

Dringhouses’ second win of the week came at the expense of Rowntrees & Huntington. Their 153-3 included 52 retired by Lewis Chipchase and 51 retired by Tom Owen. The Rowntrees reply was led by Nick Johnson (30) and Jack Hugill, run out for 49, but they closed on 121-6.