Six-hitting York thrash rivals to lift league title (From York Press)

York Cricket Club thrash rivals Harrogate to lift Yorkshire League title

11:50am Monday 10th September 2012 in Sport By Press sports reporter

A RECORD-BREAKING sixth successive Solly Sports Yorkshire ECB County Premier League title was “the sweetest yet” for York Cricket Club, according to vice-captain Nick Kay.

The Clifton Parkers thrashed rivals Harrogate by 140 runs in a top of the table showdown on Saturday to seal the championship and then rounded off their league campaign with a ten-wicket home win over Sheffield Collegiate yesterday.

Kay said: “It’s a terrific effort.

“Winning this title is probably the sweetest of the lot because we were so far behind at the half way stage and a lot of people had written us off.

“We have gone unbeaten since losing to Rotherham in June and we’ve played some really good cricket.

“To come from 20 points back is absolutely brilliant and we have deserved it. We’ve played the best cricket of any team in the league.”

Against Harrogate, York totalled an impressive 289-5 batting first thanks to a knock of 104 off 143 balls from Ryan McKendry. He hit 11 fours and two sixes before he was out from the last ball of the innings.

He had support from Kay, who was 57 not out from 41 balls, and Alex Collins, who made 41.

Harrogate, who needed to win to take the title race into the final round of fixtures, were then skittled for 149, with Ryan McKendry spinning his way to 3-36.

There were also three wickets for skipper Dan Woods (3-40), while Kay added impressive figures of 4-37 to his half-century.

Yesterday, York raced to a ten-wicket win over Collegiate in 12.5 overs after bowling their visitors out for 132.

Ryan McKendry took five wickets and Woods claimed four and then Duncan Snell smashed 91 off 45 balls to pass 1,000 runs for the season as he and Liam McKendry (41no) saw York home.