HUNTERS ECB Yorkshire Premier League leaders Harrogate stretched their winning run to seven matches with victory over Castleford to maintain a three-point gap over second-placed York.

The latter beat Yorkshire Academy on a day when the rain affected a number of games, helping to produce some tight finishes.

David Foster (4-35) and Nick Taylor (3-17) shared seven wickets as visitors Castleford were bowled out either side of a rain delay for a record-low 64 at St George’s Road, with only James Sykes (23) making double figures.

That was in reply to the hosts' total of 200, which might have been more after Matthew Good (26) and Dion Sanson (31) shared an opening stand of 78 but wickets for David Wainwright (3-25) and Eddie Morrison (2-63) and four run outs pegged them back.

York and Yorkshire Academy went into the match at Clifton Park in second and third places respectively, and it was the home side who retained their position after a gripping contest.

Duncan Snell (60) and Liam McKendry (56) gave the hosts the early initiative before the visitors struck back through leading wicket-taker James Logan (3-48) and Jack Shutt (2-47), restricting the total to 199-7.

Mosun Hussain (65) came in at three for the Academy and was eventually last out, one of five wickets for Ryan McKendry (5-52). Skipper Matthew Waite (35) looked in the mood to guide his side to victory but once he was out the rest of the batting was unable to support Hussain, York coming out on top by 12 runs.

Three batsmen made centuries in the match between Sheriff Hutton Bridge and Stamford Bridge.

Hosts' skipper Adam Fisher scored 100 and Louis Foxton 62 in a total of 292-8 as Dominic Rhodes picked up 3-61. A stand of 195 between Stuart Boyle (105) and Yorkshire’s Will Rhodes (105) should have been the perfect foundation, but the hosts fought back through Russell Robinson (2-25) and Jordan Grose (2-44), and when rain curtailed the match with an over remaining, they were nine runs short of their target.

Hull edged past Woodhouse Grange by just 12 runs to end a five-match losing streak in another of the games disrupted by the rain.

Visiting bowlers Steve Burdett (4-69) and Andrew Horner (2-20) reduced the hosts to 38-6 but they recovered thanks to an excellent performance from Charlie Hodgson (75) before Josh Jackson (4-45) wrapped up the innings for 171.

Scott Shepherd led the visitors’ response with an unbeaten 37, but when play resumed after a lengthy delay a revised target of 103 from 26 overs proved out of reach.

Acomb eased their relegation worries with a four-wicket win over a resurgent Scarborough side who had won their last three.

Darren Harland (70) and James Pick (61) spearheaded a solid performance from the visitors’ top order which produced a total of 241-5, Andrew Brewster finishing with 3-59.

After the loss of a couple of early wickets, Andrew Tute (54) and Joe Dale (94) got the home side back on track with a stand of 89, and from there Dale was able to control the innings, the home side winning with six overs in hand.

Dunnington failed to build on their previous week’s victory as they lost at Driffield Town, Sam Drury (63) and skipper Danny Broumpton (72no) adding 102 out of the total of 228-6.

Broumpton’s opposite number Jack Bolam replied with 69 but found little support, only two other players reaching double figures in a total of 140 as Jamie Hopper (5-30) picked up his second five-wicket haul of the campaign.