TWO Easingwold players scored centuries but ended on the losing side in their Hunters the estate agent York and District Senior League premier division match at Clifton Alliance.

After Easingwold skipper Martin Piercy fell for 39, Jonathon Marwood and Tom Piercy put the Clifton Alliance bowlers to the sword as they compiled an unbroken stand of 197.

Tom Piercy was in ferocious form, cracking twelve sixes in an unbeaten 126 as he outpaced opener Marwood, who was 114 not out when the innings closed on 295-1.

The Clifton Alliance batsmen have a reputation for hitting big scores and they rose to the occasion with panache.

Aussie Dan Harris set the tone with 74, but the gold medal performance of the day came from skipper Richard Musgrave, who overshadowed Piercy by making a career best 136 not out, including eleven sixes.

He shared a fifth wicket partnership of 123 with James Postill, who made 32, to help Alliance reach 296-5 and win by five wickets.

Clifton Alliance's total wasn't the highest of the day. That honour went to Heworth, who raced to 338-6, the second highest total to be scored in the premier division, as they crushed Osbaldwick by 189 runs.

Colin de Grandhomme's unbeaten 138 was the highest innings of the day, but he was not the only scourge of the home bowlers as Mike Taylor made 53, Richard Bowling 44 and then former Osbaldwick player Ian Wilson 52.

In reply, Kash Mahmood, who played for Heworth for two seasons, struck 51 and had assistance from Andy Hall (31) and Matt McGuinness (28no), but Chris Pitts took 4-36 to send Osbaldwick crashing to defeat at 149 all out.

Dunnington's Pakistan star Masood Asim Butt hit exactly 100 not out as he and Harwood Williams (32no) combined to put the game beyond the reach of Pickering.

Earlier, Dave Grenlay had laid the foundations with 53 to set Dunnington on their way to 224-4. Butt then continued to be a thorn in the visiting side as he claimed 4-27, but solid performances by Chris Nicholls (31) and Colin Frank (39) enabled the Ryedale side to gain a draw at 163-6.

There was a splendid game at Woodhouse Grange, where the home side and Beverley Town kept their supporters on the edge of their seats until the end.

Woodhouse had early value from John Bean (35), Khan Jowsey (31) and Mike Burdett (47) before Richard Steel's unbeaten 44 saw them to full batting points at 214-6.

James Hodgson took up the challenge for Beverley in making 76 while Ali Brumfield hit 44 not out, but Richard Burdett's 3-70 in 19 overs just kept the Grange's nose in front as Beverley closed on 196-7.

Sheriff Hutton Bridge's batsmen at last discovered their form of last year when they plundered 256-4 off the bowling of fellow strugglers Malton & Old Malton.

However, their bowlers were unable to make the final breakthrough and the resulting draw leaves the two sides level pegging at the foot of the division.

With the Bridge batting first, Ian Clish made 40 in an opening stand of 65 before he was run out. His partner, Paul Oldfield, was then joined in a 106 run stand for the second wicket by Paul Scaling, who made 55.

Oldfield eventually fell for 86, but leading scorer Peter Crowder added an unbeaten 48 to help the visitors post a total of 256-4.

Aussie Brent Warren was the only Malton batsman to make a mark, scoring 32. Dave Gilbertson took 4-38 in 16 overs and had the hosts tottering on the brink of defeat at 128-9.

Sessay's Matthew Till fully justified the praise heaped on him earlier in the week by Collis King when he raced to his century out of a score of 134 as Sessay batted first against Acomb.

He then fell for 112, which allowed Dave Sykes (4-69) and Andy Tute (4-60) to claw back the initiative for the York side. Tute followed with 39 and Sanjay Rodrigo added 41 before Richard Sykes (39no) guided Acomb to a three-wicket win with one ball to spare.

Updated: 10:50 Monday, June 13, 2005