YORK CC tasted the full range of emotions in Yorkshire ECB Premier League cricket at the weekend.

On Saturday, they were crushed at home by nine wickets at the hands of the Yorkshire Academy and the following day they handed a similar eight-wicket beating to Scarborough at North Marine Road.

This leaves the Clifton Park club one point behind leaders Sheffield Collegiate but most of their rivals have a match in hand.

Academy captain Richard Blakey brought a strong squad well beyond cadet standard and the extra pace and class of Nick Thornicroft and Tim Bresnan soon reduced York to 26-4.

The introduction of Driffield-based spinner Simon Tennant claimed Marcus Wood first ball but a complete collapse was avoided when Rob Flack showed his usual courage and tenacity to build an hour-long rearguard with Andy Kay.

But Kay received a smack on the wrist which proved to be a fracture. This opened the tail and although Kay returned, Flack was last out after 142 minutes of solid resistance, paceman Steve Patterson taking four wickets.

Bresnan and Joe Sayers comfortably attacked the York total of 118 taking 20 boundaries between them until Bresnan attempted one shot too many and was bowled by Riley O'Neill.

At Scarborough, York took an early stranglehold when Flack and Greg How delivered 17 overs for only 18 runs with Flack trapping prolific West Australian Craig Heron for a duck.

Once again Wood entrusted first change to Nick Kay, who tore into the Scarborough mid-order to be rewarded with four victims.

Mike Mortimer, replacing the injured Andy Kay, took two quick wickets to ensure there was no rearguard action before How and O'Neill cleaned up the tail.

York cleared the 125 deficit in 26 overs with Stephen Piercy (71no) dominating the reply in an unbeaten innings which included 12 boundaries of which two were sixes.

Updated: 10:07 Monday, August 16, 2004