REIGNING Foss Evening Cricket League champions Woodhouse Grange and runners-up Heworth continue to battle for division one title honours with two points separating the sides.

Woodhouse maintained their lead with a four-wicket win over battling Stamford Bridge. Stamford struggled early as spinners Marcus and Kevin Smith took two wickets each, but Bridge posted a competitive score thanks to Dave Craven’s 47 not out, including four sixes.

David Chaplin went for just two runs in his four overs but Tom Young (24) and an important 41-run sixth-wicket partnership between Chris Bilton (23no) and David Suddaby (19) saw the champions home.

Heworth had an easier seven-wicket victory over Wheldrake.

Matt Walker (39) and Martin Lambert (38no) allowed Wheldrake to post 111-3, but an unbeaten 48 from Tim Outram and 37 from Chris Barrett saw the Elmpark Way side home.

Division two is also tight with the top four sides covered by only three points.

Londesborough Park lead after defeating Pocklington, who fell for 81 as Darren Moody took 4-22, with only Huw Attwood (26) making an impression. Dan Howard made an unbeaten 29 to add to his earlier 2-20 as Park won by five wickets.

Gareth Fenton’s golden summer continues for The Retreat as his fourth half-century (52) of the campaign, plus 3-32, underpinned a 14-run defeat of Yapham. The Retreat were bowled out for 103 with Alex Nattrass taking 4-24. Yapham subsided to 89-9 as Adam Mosley took 3-12.

Stockton & Hopgrove could be the first promoted side if results go their way next week.

Holding a six-point advantage over Westow and Fulfordgate, a victory for Stockton and defeat for the other two would see them virtually uncatchable.

Stockton convincingly beat Westow as the visitors could only muster 60-5 in 20 overs, despite Ben Holtby’s 23 not out. Dan Fairclough made 23 as Stockton won by eight wickets.

Fulfordgate’s great season continued with a 32-run victory based around big contributions from their juniors. Two 16-year-olds, Liam Hancy (43) and Tom Craddock (38no), led ’Gate to 123-4 before 15-year-old James Nelson took 5-14 to bowl York RI out for 91.

Dunnington Academy required the experience of Andy Chipps (51) to post 124-7 before 13-year-old George Wilson took 5-29 as Thixendale made 91-7 in reply.