SATURDAY'S rain could not have come at a worse time as the challenges for promotion and fights against relegation are coming to the boil in the Horwath Pulleyn Heselton York Vale League.

With all of the Division Two games washed away it meant that Ovington take the championship and return to the top division at the first attempt.

Hemingbrough remain in second place but any slip-ups and any of the next five clubs behind them could pip them to promotion.

The relegation battle is now between three clubs - Askham Bryan, Woodhouse Grange and Wilberfoss - two of whom will go down.

Burn closeded in on Burythorpe at the top of Division One after their nine wicket win at Thorp Willoughby, taking advantage of the leaders' game at Aldby Park being abandoned at the tea interval. Drax boosted their chances of survival after winning at Heworth by two wickets.

There was little cricket played elsewhere although the University Staff gave themselves an outside chance of promotion from Division Four after taking maximum points from Stockton and Hopgrove, who are now relegated.

Drax dashed to a nine wicket win over Wheldrake in the only game to beat the rain in Division Five and edge closer to Ovington at the top but they need to keep winning to make sure of returning to the fourth division at the first attempt.

Horwath Pulleyn Heselton

York Vale Cricket League

Div 1: Aldby Park 138-8 v Burythorpe rain stopped play; Heworth 129-5, Drax 130-8; Thorpe Willoughby 135-8, Burn 140-1; York 56-0 v Bishopthorpe RSP.

Div 2: Hemingbrough v Ovington 38-0 RSP; Kelfield 107-2 v York Post Office RSP; Thixendale v Askham Bryan 164 RSP; Fulfordgate 43-1 v Woodhouse Grange RSP.

Div 3: Burton Salmon v British Sugar RSP; Selby 42-2 v North Duffield RSP.

Div 4: Bishopthorpe v Huntington 40-1 RSP; Burn v Heslington No play -rain; Stillingfleet W/O v Tadcaster Magnet (conceded); York University Staff 178-4, Stockton & Hopgrove 85.

Div 5: Copmanthorpe v York 56-1; Drax 102-1, Wheldrake 101; Ovington 50-1 v Thorpe Willoughby RSP; Wistow 102-2 v Selby RSP.

Division One

P W L T Total

Burythorpe 16 11 2 0 349

Burn 16 10 5 0 322

Aldby Park 16 8 5 0 269

Bishopthorpe 16 7 5 1 266

CGU 15 7 6 0 240

Heworth 16 6 9 0 230

York 16 6 8 0 229

Drax 16 5 9 1 195

Stockton & Hopgrove 15 4 9 0 185

Thorpe Willoughby 16 4 10 0 164

Division Two

Ovington 16 11 2 0 345

Hemingbrough 16 8 4 0 281

Fulfordgate 16 8 5 0 265

Thixendale 16 8 6 0 246

York Post Office 16 6 5 1 245

Kelfield 16 7 7 0 245

Westow 15 5 7 0 205

Wilberfoss 15 5 7 0 188

Woodhouse Grange 16 4 9 0 184

Askham Bryan 16 2 10 1 151

Division Three

Clifton Alliance 13 8 1 0 264

British Sugar 14 8 4 0 252

Wheldrake 14 7 4 1 250

North Duffield 14 7 4 0 237

Melbourne 13 6 5 1 209

Ben Johnson 13 6 5 0 204

Burton Salmon 15 4 9 0 164

Copmanthorpe 13 3 8 0 140

Selby 13 1 10 0 90

Division Four

Stillingfleet 16 12 2 0 349

Burn 16 10 3 0 326

York University Staff 16 9 5 0 296

Heslington 16 8 6 0 259

Heworth 15 8 5 0 255

Huntington 16 8 6 0 264

Bishopthorpe 16 6 6 1 233

Acomb 15 3 9 1 164

Tadcaster Magnet 16 3 11 0 144

Stockton & Hopgrove 16 0 14 0 79

Division Five

Ovington 16 11 3 0 348

Drax 16 11 3 0 327

Wistow 16 9 4 0 294

Thorpe Willoughby 16 9 5 0 279

Woodhouse Grange 15 9 5 0 274

York 16 7 7 0 233

Wheldrake 16 5 9 0 179

Selby 16 3 10 1 149

Pocklington 15 3 11 0 114

Copmanthorpe 16 1 11 1 106