YORK made it four wins in a row to keep up the pressure on the top two in the Solly Sports Yorkshire ECB County Premier Cricket League.

Ryan McKendry claimed career-best figures of 6-38 in the nine-wicket victory over Sheffield United, before Simon Lambert's unbeaten 92 saw the hosts home with more than 30 overs to spare.

United, the league’s bottom side, arrived at Clifton Park still searching for their first win and, having chosen to bat, they made a solid start, if painstaking at times.

Openers Suleman Saleem and Bilal Anjam appeared resolute in defence against York’s seam bowlers on a docile pitch but were unable to score with any freedom, only 72 runs coming from the bat in the opening 29 overs.

Bolstered by 20 extras from some indisciplined bowling, the total had reached 92 when the first wicket fell, Saleem bowled while attempting to sweep Tom Pringle on 38.

Anjam (35) followed his opening partner in the same bowler’s next over, thanks to a spectacular one-handed diving catch by Alex Collins at mid-off.

South African Jaco Sholtz (20) and Waqar Ahmed (18) then took the total to 133 before both fell in the same over to the off-spin of McKendry.

Scholtz was first to depart bowled by a quicker delivery and Ahmed followed four balls later when he skied a catch to Lambert on the long on boundary.

With only ten overs remaining, it looked increasingly unlikely York would take the six wickets still required to have a chance of picking up maximum points.

That might well have been the case had it not been for some indifferent shot selection from the visitors' lower order.

Isuru Jayakody and Daniel McLean were both caught from uppish drives by Nick Kay at mid-off from the bowling of McKendry, and Tom Brooks claimed the first of two stumpings to dismiss Matthew Taylor.

Richard Love then held a catch at deep mid-wicket to give the bowler his sixth wicket, one having come in each of the spinner’s final four overs.

Despite his efforts, two wickets were still required as Pringle began the final over. With only two deliveries remaining, Matthew Rees stepped down the wicket and was stumped.

Surrounded by close fielders, United’s last man James Exley failed to negotiate the final delivery, unable to get bat on ball having played back, he was trapped lbw.

Pringle had two in two to finish with 4-33 and the home side had achieved their first objective with nothing to spare, the visitors having gone from 92-0 to 183 all out.

York began their reply in blistering fashion and Adam Whatley, on the back of two centuries the previous weekend, was particularly harsh on United’s young bowlers.

He hit seven fours and two sixes in racing to 43 off only 17 balls by the time he was bowled by Rees in the eighth over, but by then total had already reached 80.

Lambert, while less brutal in his approach, was no less effective in reaching 50 off 36 balls. He was joined by Liam McKendry (38no) and the pair saw their side home.

The century partnership was brought up by Lambert with an audacious reverse sweep for four, and a repeat of the shot secured victory as the hosts reached 185-1 from only 24.3 overs.

Today York travel to Barnsley aiming to avenge their opening day defeat by the second-placed side at Clifton Park.