HUNTERS ECB Yorkshire Premier League leaders Harrogate made the most of their good fortune to move 12 points clear of nearest rivals York and Yorkshire Academy as their match was the only one to beat the wet weather.

Their seven-wicket success against Sheriff Hutton Bridge means the St George’s Road club will seal the title with victory at Castleford next weekend.

The hosts wasted no time asserting their dominance over the visitors Tom Geeson-Brown (3-17) with three early wickets helping reduce them to 34-5 inside the first 13 overs. Rob Pinder (28) and Alexander Ibbotson (41) led a partial recovery and an unbeaten 27 from Stephen Croft helped boost the total to 141, before Harry Stow (3-38) closed out the innings.

Set a revised target of 113 from 30 overs, Matthew Good, scoring 45 off just 33 balls, got the hosts off to a blistering start and Dion Sanson finished unbeaten on 28 to see his side home, with just three wickets down, inside 18 overs.

Second-placed York were left frustrated after they were in control at Acomb. They came within six balls of producing a result.

Matthew Dale (46) and Scott Nicholls (43) gave the home side an excellent start before a lengthy break for rain, after which Dan Woods (5-33) and Tom Pringle (4-27) prospered as the hosts chased quick runs, eventually reaching 141-9.

The visitors, needing to face a minimum of 20 overs to obtain a result, had reached 90-2 from 19 overs and were in front of the required rate when play was abandoned with Liam McKendry (43no) and Chris Booth (41no) both going well.

James Logan (5-28) took his sixth five-wicket haul of the season as Castleford were bowled out for 95 by visitors Yorkshire Academy. Matthew Fisher, on his way back from injury, was also in impressive form taking 4-15.

Only skipper David Wainwright (40no) and overseas signing Mohammad Waqas (28) reached double figures as the hosts looked to build on two wins from their last three as they battle to avoid the drop.

The visitors did not have everything their own way and were 54-4 when the rain came, Wainwright having taken 3-9. The Savile Park side must now look to upset the league leaders next week and, if other results go their way, could face Scarborough in the last game of the season in a relegation decider.

The North Marine Road side had to fight hard after Jack Murphy (57) and Steve Liburd (29) had got Dunnington off to a bright start at 84-1.

Skipper Ben Elvidge (3-38) and Tom Precious (2-41) struck back for the hosts and, when the rain arrived, the match was evenly poised, the visitors having reached 163-6.

Driffield Town found themselves 8-4 inside the first three overs as Steven Sergeant (4-27) tore through the top order, but the visitors recovered thanks to an unbroken eighth-wicket partnership of 112 between Danny Broumpton (58no) and Mark Goddard (57no), eventually reaching 206-7 from 38 overs. The Hull reply was limited to just 13.2 overs by which point they had reached 72-2, Tim Appleyard the top scorer with 23.

Only 14 overs were possible at Sandhill Lane, Woodhouse Grange making 29-1 against local rivals Stamford Bridge.