REIGNING Hunters York & District Senior Cricket League champions Woodhouse Grange have booked their fifth trip to Lord’s after beating Cropston in the semi-finals of the Yorkshire Tea National Village Cup.

The Sutton-on-Derwent-based side stepped up their premier division title defence with a five-wicket win over Easingwold on Saturday and followed up yesterday with an eight-wicket win over Leicestershire visitors Cropston in the Village Cup.

Cropston were bowled out for 103 and openers Nick Hadfield (68) and Mike Hattee broke the back of the chase with an opening stand of 87 in 15 overs.

They will now face Reed in the final at the home of cricket on Sunday, September 9.

In the bread and butter of the league, Grange are only four points shy of leaders Studley Royal after their Easingwold triumph.

Martin Piercy hit 72 and Matt Turnbull made an unbeaten 33 in Easingwold’s total of 187-7 as Richard Mann claimed 3-38.

In reply, Chris Bilton continued his recent good form by making 84 and Mike Burdett made 40.

Paul Redshaw reached the 300 career wickets mark in capturing 3-47.

Studley Royal came off second best in a draw against an improving Selby side, who had a three-run advantage as Studley closed on 157-9 in reply to the visiting score of 160-9.

Selby’s Matt Hoyle made 28 and Eddie Rosa 30 as Ben Crewe (4-48) and Steve Walmsley (3-42) kept Selby under control.

Steve Precious then claimed 3-44 to keep Selby’s nose marginally in front, although Studley’s Gary Blackburn made 60. There was a real thriller at Stamford Bridge where second-placed Clifton Alliance lost three wickets in the final over to lose by one run.

Matt Beckett hit 53 and Steve Sergeant 87 as Stamford made 208 all out. The ten wickets were shared by Rob Gillespie (5-69) and Alex Renton (5-65).

Clifton skipper John Gilham then hit 89 and had support from Joel Hughes (37) and Rory Walker (28).

The game was ended when the last man was bowled first ball by Dave Chaplin off the penultimate delivery to leave a distraught Clifton side all out for 207.

Dunnington eased into third place after winning by three wickets at Goole, who are now 50 points adrift at the foot of the table.

David Johnson took 6-50 as Goole were all out for 148, Steve Hicks making 35 not out. Collis King smashed 50 off 35 balls en route to 62 and Adam Sutcliffe made 41. Hicks took 3-52.

Sheriff Hutton Bridge’s unbeaten record ended when they lost by five wickets to Beverley Town, whose first win lifted them out of the drop zone.

Bridge collapsed from 106-2 to 183 all out, with Paul Oldfield making 42, Rob Pinder 44 and Mark Fisher 38. Spinner Peter Groves took 5-51.

Beverley’s reply included runs for Jim Fisher (41), Andy Hamson (45) and Faisal Abid (67no).

Hosts York were reduced to 47-5 by Sessay, but a sixth-wicket stand of 116 between Ian Jarvis (69) and skipper Marcus Wood (55) took them to 200-9. Matt Wilkie made 33 at the start of Sessay’s reply, but Greg How (3-33) and Matt Hodsdon (3-24) battled back before Chris Cowton made an unbeaten 55 to see Sessay to a draw at 180-8.

Acomb are closing in on a top flight return after a seven-wicket win over Folkton & Flixton in division one of the Hunters York & District Senior Cricket League.

Leaders Acomb are three points clear of Sewerby and the nearest challengers are Hull Zingari, a further 91 points back.

Flixton batted first and Nick Zakrzewski made 53 and a late order 42 was added by Mark Clark as they were all out for 193.

Dave Sykes claimed 3-57, James Byford 4-74 and Simon Brown 3-18.

Acomb’s reply slumped to 57-3 despite Matt Dale’s 42, but Joe Halstead (71no) and Joe Burton (70no) then came together in an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 140.

Sewerby were two-wicket winners at bottom side Bolton Percy.

The home total of 170-6 included 48 by Peter Houseman and 41 not out from Phil O’Donnell.

Sewerby’s successful reply was led by Ben Dobson (70) and Russ Robinson (63). Jacob Green had figures of 6-36 from his 12 overs.

Fenner lost by 64 runs at Thirsk, who bowled out their visitors for 104 in reply to 168-5.

Ben England (52) and James Wilkinson (52no) posted a fourth-wicket stand of 101 for Thirsk and England then took 3-16 in seven overs in support of Stuart Christon, who took 5-58 in 17.5 overs.

Bridlington moved out of the bottom two after a seven-wicket win at Heworth .

Waseem Akram made 37 but Sam Edmondson (4-35) and Casey Rudd (4-34) bowled Heworth out for 152.

Rudd’s unbeaten 85 swept Bridlington victory.

Pickering beat hosts Driffield by five wickets with three overs in hand. Carl Busfield hit 78 as the hosts totalled 192-9, with Lorcan Barker grabbing 6-61 for the Pikes.

Pickering’s successful reply of 193-5 featured 51 from Ben Lealman, while Colin Frank made 44.

Second-placed Tadcaster Magnet lost ground in division two after a 13-run defeat by Whitkirk.

The Magnet batsmen were all out for 112 chasing a modest target of 125-9, which was something of a recovery from 88-9.

Paul Downey took 4-17 and Neil Ward made 30 for Magnet.

That allowed Beverley Town II to increase their lead to 38 points, even though they were on the worst end of a home draw with fourth-placed Londesborough Park.

A good team batting effort saw Park post a target of 230-7, thanks to James Hanley (42), John Beevers (47) and Charlie Rook (48). Matt Smith took 3-75. Pete Hynde (34) and Andy Burton (54) led the reply, which reached 208-5.

Osbaldwick are now 51 points behind the tenth-placed club after losing by three wickets to fellow strugglers Clifton Alliance.

Rob Bispham made 45 when they batted first at Shipton Road, but Osbaldwick collapsed from 105-3 to 141 all out as Dave Friend took 5-67 and Dominic Snook 3-17.

Alliance’s John Myers made 58 in reply, while Alex Rippon claimed 3-22.

Thorp Arch beat Dringhouses by four wickets at St Helen’s Road.

Chris Storey hit 61 in the hosts’ 185-8, but Mick Kenyon’s 4-68 was not enough to prevent Jamie Perkins (56no) and Darren Shaw (60no) clinching the points.

York’s plight in 11th place worsened after a six-wicket home defeat by Malton & Old Malton.

Tim Somerville (50) and Mike Linsley (50no) steered Malt past York’s all out total of 154.

Somerville had earlier taken 3-35 and Tony Linsley 4-28. Ryan Waite top-scored for York with 39.

THE division three title race is a three-horse race between Woodhouse Grange II, Duncombe Park and Welton.

Woodhouse were thwarted by New Earswick , who closed on 130-7 chasing Grange’s 249-9 declared.

Andy Anderson hit 90 and Dave Suddaby 64 not out for Grange, with Earswick’s Andy Freeman taking 4-36.

Kev Barker top-scored with 32 in reply.

Duncombe Park drew at Sessay where Alistair Holmes hit 93 and Peter Kent 64 in Park’s 225-8. Sessay slumped to 54-4, but were rescued by an unbroken stand of 135 between Tom Wilkinson (73no) and Giles Cressey (77no).

Ripon are fourth after a six-wicket win over Malton & Old Malton II. Malt struggled to 147-9, with Matt Morton taking 3-27. Tom Leeming’s 63 led Ripon to victory.

Hovingham beat Sheriff Hutton by 32 runs. Hov’s 164 included 50 by Mark Langley and Charlie Hall (4-24) dismissed the visitors for 132.

DRIFFIELD recorded one of the fastest wins of the season when they raced home in only 7.1 overs after dismissing Easingwold for 84 in division four.

The ten-wicket win saw John Wooley make 38 not out and Jim Robinson 41 not out.

Huby hit 246 all out thanks to big innings from Tom Piercy (77) and Ben Aked (66), but Hull Zingari made 185-7 to earn a decent draw.

Rob Aconley’s 6-25 and Charlie Marwood’s unbeaten 52 helped Pickering II beat Goole by seven wickets.

Barry Milburn’s 91 in Stillington’s 210-5 went unrewarded when Phil Thomsac hit 77 to help Drax win by four wickets.

An unbeaten 126 by William Phelps took Civil Service to a seven-wicket win at York, which keeps the Heslington -based side on course for promotion from division five.

Sheriff Hutton Bridge, in third place, lost by three wickets at pace-setting Patrington.

Patrington’s Andy Guy made 60 not out in a winning total of 154-7.

Londesborough Park’s Dan Howard took 6-22 but Welton & Brough edged to a one-wicket win after dismissing Park for 134.

Ollie Sherwood made 60 not out as Heworth beat Whitkirk by eight wickets.

Bolton Percy’s Ben Hepworth hit 57 in a draw with Osbaldwick, whose 102-6 was adrift of Bolton’s 234-8.

Rowntrees’ Chris Todd hit 54 but their last pair were at the wicket in a draw after Paul Townsley’s 4-27 bowled Woodhouse Grange to the brink.

Andy Heaps (3-20 and 54no) and Rob Williams (3-39 and 25) helped Thorp Arch to a four-wicket win over Pocklington.

Division seven leaders Carlton Towers had a 119-run win over Dringhouses.