York CC travelled with optimism to face champions Shef- field Collegiate at Abbeydale on Saturday but were undone by the official digit of destiny, writes John Herbert.

Four of their front five batsmen were despatched, pads in front, by Collegiate's triumphant pace trio of Andy Wylie, Richard Pineo and Nick Youngs.

Put in to bat, York were soon in trouble as Stephen Piercy's error of judgement was safely pouched by Charlie Wall. From then on, it was mostly down hill.

Nick Kay was the founder member of the Pads First Club, and Marcus Wood and Mike Mortimer fulfilled an urge to join.

Simon Mason, flouting temptation, was threatening to pull York out of trouble until he played slightly across and was hooked by the tempting lure of medium pacer Youngs.

Then Dave Catlow sallied forward against experienced leg spinner Mark Boocock, and wicketkeeper Richard Kettleborough, Collegiate's skipper, promptly lifted his bails from under him.

Robert Flack remained steady to the end but Richard Gilbert made it a quintet of digital departures, his club membership being sponsored by Boocock.

Tom Pringle and Greg How both allowed Nick Gaywood to demonstrate close catching prowess, while Nigel Durham edged returning paceman Pineo into Kettleborough's maw.

The total of 119 all out was simply not enough.

For all that, York stuck manfully to their task, albeit in vain.

Gaywood, the former Devon star, first dropped anchor and then hurried along, determined to see his side home. He achieved his objective and improved his average at the same time.

Young leggie Pringle, with admirable figures of 4-34, captured all the Collegiate scalps to fall, including quality victims Kettleborough and Ed McKenna.

York were forced to concede second best, while Collegiate had put their title retention aspirations back on track.

Harrogate did all that could be expected at Appleby Frodingham.

Put in to bat, they piled up the runs, thanks substantially to county colt John Inglis and then demolished Frodingham's resistance to collect the eight-point maximum.

In the process, though, Frodingham seamer Andy Ellis underlined his quality by securing his 500th league wicket in a Yorkshire Leaguer career spanning just nine seasons.

Scarborough must have expected to do well against lowly Hull. But if Clint Heron and Darren Harland fail, trouble looms.

Their comprehensive defeat was confounded even further yesterday when they visited Yorkshire Academy in the League Cup quarter-finals. The Academy welcomed back Joe Sayers (102) from Oxford and piled up 238-2. Scarborough collapsed in a meek heap to 97 all out.

The position at the top of the Yorkshire League table remains substantially unchanged.

Leaders Doncaster earned a maximum return as they put paid to Driffield, and Sheffield United collected six points in a high-scoring encounter with Rotherham at Bawtry Road.

Updated: 11:56 Monday, July 15, 2002