Having been outplayed in their league encounter with York the previous day, the omens did not look good for Stockton & Hopgrove in the final of the Horwath Pulleyn Heselton Cup at Clifton Alliance yesterday.

However, they threw the form book away and turned in a solid team performance to lift the trophy.

Opting to take first knock, Stockton made a steady start against Ian Calpin and Rich Carroll.

Jason Chinnion was the first to lose his wicket caught behind by skipper Kevin Mendham for 16 with the score at 38.

Peter Fairclough followed three runs later bowled by Sean Hunter who had come on first change and, bowling in tandem with Tony Hall, kept the run rate at three an over where it stayed until 30 overs had been bowled.

Tony Kerrison was dismissed for a workmanlike 45 with the score at 76 and was quickly followed by son David to leave the Villagers 80 for 4.

The other Kerrison son, Richard, joined Steve Fraser and began a transformation to put the Villagers on top and give them an advantage they were never to lose.

The last ten overs saw the score of 89 for 4 exactly doubled to 178 for 6 with some very aggressive hitting.

Kerrison brought up his 50 with three successive fours but departed soon after while Fraser hit an excellent 41. They were both victims of Rich Carroll, a former team-mate whose father Mick was playing for Stockton.

Stockton were flying and the bowlers carried on where the batsmen had left off. Sean Hunter was bowled in the first over by Derrick Fryer who also snapped up Andrew Dee for another duck.

At the other end James Wigby had Peter Dobson caught by Carroll senior and bowled Nick Ventress for a duck to leave the York innings in tatters at 9 for 4.

Skipper Mendham carried the attack to the opposition with a few lusty blows but was the first victim to Rich Grimes.

The rest of the York innings fell without too much to trouble Stockton but Peter Bainbridge played a gem of an innings with some very handsome drives while carrying his bat for 66 and shepherding the tail.

Charles Walker, partner of sponsors Horwath Pulleyn Heselton, presented the cup to Derrick Fryer, skipper of Stockton & Hopgrove.

SCOREBOARD

Stockton & Hopgrove 178-7 (R Kerrison 53, T Kerrison 45, S Fraser 41, S Hunter 3-28, R Carroll 3-44), York 129 ( P Bainbridge 66 not out, K Mendham 20, R Grimes 3-41, N Collinson 2-47, J Wigby 2-16, D Fryer 2-16). Stockton & Hopgrove bt York by 49 runs.