DEPOSED Solly Sports Yorkshire ECB Premier League champions York Cricket Club ended the season on a high with a six-wicket win over Barnsley at Shaw Lane.

Simon Lambert guided the visitors to victory in a low-scoring encounter with 58, after Nick Kay had torn through the home side’s top order with a devastating spell. He picked up four wickets in the space of just eight balls without conceding a run.

York, already assured of the runners-up slot, went into the match missing several first team regulars and when they lost the toss a good start was vital.

Conditions were ideally suited to seam bowling but openers Jonathan Trower and Matthew Wilson looked comfortable, negotiating the first ten overs scoring 38.

But the final ball of Kay’s sixth over changed the contest dramatically.

Trower cut the ball straight to Tom Pringle at point, and in the next over Charlie Elliot found the edge of Wilson’s bat and Simon Lambert took a sharp catch, head high at slip.

Kay picked up the key wickets of Zohaib Ahmade and Azeem Rafiq, caught by Nick Elliot at slip without scoring, in his next over.

Jason Booth became Kay’s fourth victim, lbw for nought as the hosts slumped from 38-0, to 39-5 in 26 deliveries.

Worse came when skipper Steven Nuttall over-reached at Dan Woods and was stumped by Liam McKendry before a seventh-wicket stand of 17 gave the batting side some respite.

It ended when James Wainman edged Woods to gully where Lambert took his second catch.

Pringle replaced Kay and struck in his over, bowling Nathan Firn to make the score 70-8. Tom Shaw and Ali Jahangir took the score to 90, before Kay took a tumbling catch at long-off to dismiss Jahanghir.

Callum Bethel was dropped at mid-wicket, but it didn’t prove too costly as only 19 further runs were added before Bethel was bowled by Pringle as the innings closed on 117.

York’s reply began badly with three wickets falling inside six overs - McKendry, Kay and Charlie Elliot, while Lambert was dropped when on 15. That proved costly for Barnsley.

At 32-3 the game hung in the balance, but Lambert found a willing ally in Dave Patmore, who despite the presence of nine catchers behind the wicket, refused to be intimidated.

The pair saw off the remaining overs of the new ball pairing and took advantage when pace gave way to spin.

Lambert brought up his half-century from 79 balls with eight fours, but, with just 11 required for victory he was bowled by Nuttall.

It was left to Patmore to strike the winning runs - a pull through mid-wicket taking him to 32 and York to 119 and a win with 33 overs to spare.