IN a complete reversal of the senior side's fortunes, Pickering II are riding high in division four which they lead by 13 points after taking the fifth division title last term.

The Pikes opening pair put the Dringhouses bowlers to the sword as they reached 166 before being parted. The players involved were who scored 1,105 runs last year at an average of 110.5 and Richard Wardle who made 69.

Wilson fell just three runs short of a century but Ian Johnson made 26 and Pickering totted up a massive 258-8.

In reply, Kev McGuinness made 62 but Pickering skipper Andrew Grayson ensured his side gained maximum points with 5-49 which had Dringhouses all out for 187. Dave Todd took 4-64 for the losers.

The closest fought game of the day occurred at Huby where the home side just failed to surpass Dunnington's 165-7, closing agonisingly short of victory at 162-7.

Jim Fordham hit 75 as Dunnington made 165-7 with Paul Moore taking 4-36. Darren Howell then followed with 35 and Tom Piercy made 45 but had to be content with 11 points whereas another four runs would have bagged a further 15 points which would have taken them to the top of the division.

Huntington are way up with the leading pack after beating Sheriff Hutton by six wickets. Richard Armitage made an unbeaten 70 for Sheriff, with other runs being provided by Andrew Johnson 29 and Ben Tompkins 32.

But their eventual 136-3 possibly lacked a measure of enterprise.

Len Watson made 30 before becoming one of four Huntington wickets to fall but Darren Willis, with 42no, and Rob Shaw with 37no then steered the clubmen to victory.

In a reversal of the result between the clubs' first elevens, Sheriff Hutton Bridge had by far the better of a draw at Acomb where the home side crawled to 97-8 in the face of Bridge's 196-5.

Vic Klays was Bridge's flag bearer with 78 while Steve Clipston 45 and skipper Craig Hunter 38 helped their side to a handy total. John Webster then held Acomb's innings together with 31 but Richard Coverdale's 3-12 had the hosts in some disarray.

Andrew Rigby hit an unbeaten 104 and Aussie Chris Hill 75 as Bolton Percy piled on the runs at Osbaldwick. Bolton eventually ended with 229-4 to put the game beyond the reach of the home side. Ed Baldwin responded with 30 and John Barclay 35, whilst Richard Douthwaite took 3-30 as Osbaldwick moved to 146-7.

The result of the game between Easingwold II and Selby has not been received.

Updated: 12:11 Tuesday, May 07, 2002