STAMFORD Bridge took the early initiative in the Foss Evening Cricket League championship race by beating 12-time winners Woodhouse Grange by four wickets at Low Catton Road.

Chris Smith (41), Dom Rhodes (30) and Danny Harper (26) hit Bridge to victory in division one with 14 balls to spare after Natty Burge (3-24) and Des Healey (3-35) had bowled Grange out for 119, despite Chris Bilton’s 35.

Promoted Osbaldwick are second in the early table after a Jonny Rawsthorne-inspired victory over Heworth.

Lee Bradshaw (26) and Dan Walton (23) led Heworth to 99-4, but Rawsthorne’s unbeaten 53 saw the home side win with seven wickets and five balls in hand.

Dunnington made up lost ground after their opening week concession by beating promoted Melbourne.

A mean three-over stint from youngster Alex Wilson, yielding 3-3, restricted Melbourne to 76-9 with Ian Kirby (38) top scoring.

Past captains Jack Bolam (47no) and Adam Iyer (29) then saw the Common Road side home by nine wickets.

York and Londesborough Park will play later in the season as their game was postponed due to Clifton Park holding the Yorkshire League XI's Twenty20 match against Yorkshire Vikings.

Stockton & Hopgrove started to make up some ground on the division two leaders as Kalum Perera’s hat-trick saw them come out on top by a five-run margin.

Stockton had made 112-6 as skipper Jamie Kerrison (43) starred, and Bishopthorpe fell short thanks to Perera’s heroics.

Dunnington Academy made it a double for the Common Road club, maintaining top spot in division two with victory over The Retreat.

Sam Blain (59) and Grant Bulmer (30) led the Academy to 129-9 before Sam Gray’s 4-22 bundled Retreat out 27 runs short.

Newcomers North Dalton also maintained a 100 per cent record with a nine-run win over Yapham.

Shaun Tate (27) and skipper David Brent (26) took Dalton to 90-4 before Yapham made 81-4 in reply, H Miller (27) top scoring.

Pocklington also made up for last week’s wash-out by steam-rollering Thixendale.

Ryan Lockwood (4-17) and skipper Freddie Parry (3-14) were the chief destroyers as Thixendale were bowled out for 53.

Pocklington then only took six overs to knock off the runs as Ted Donkin made an unbeaten 30.

New boys Bishop Wilton top division three after Richard Minion (3-6) restricted Retreat II to 83-9.

The Wiltonians then had a comfortable chase with A Brown’s 42 not out orchestrating a victory by nine wickets.

Bubwith are sitting in the second promotion place following relegation last summer after a tight victory against Ovington.

Andrew Winn (48) and N Goddard (32) led Bubwith to 124-4.

Paul Van Dijk’s four-over spell of 2-14 proved to be the difference as Ovington fell three runs short despite the efforts of Joe Whale (46) and Craig Nichol (45).

Aviva Vikings made the highest score of the evening to inflict defeat on Tang Hall Tigers in their first completed match in the league.

Akush Sehgal (51) again top-scored for the Vikings as they posted 147-6, assisted by C Hodgson’s 35.

The Tigers made a good fist of the chase but fell 23 short despite the efforts of Steve Clarke (51) and John Flint (25).

Elm Park Way landlords Heworth Colts triumphed over tenants Heworth Nomads.

The Nomads made 76-8 before Joel Johnson (39no) and Will Rymer (36no) took the Colts to victory after the loss of two early wickets.