LIAM McKENDRY'S unbeaten 78 secured York's place at the Yorkshire League's T20 finals day next month.

Castleford's late withdrawal from the competition meant a one-off match against hosts Doncaster decided who progressed to the showpiece event at the opponents' Town Fields ground on July 5 as Group B winners and McKendry’s knock went on to see York home with three overs to spare.

The visitors chose to bat first but found themselves two wickets down inside the first four overs with Simon Lambert picking up the wickets of both openers.

Gareth Cox was stumped by Chris Booth and Rhys Mann lobbed a gentle catch to Jonathan Moxon at square leg and 10-2 became 28-3 when Stuart Guy was given out lbw to Charlie Elliot in the seventh over.

Felix Odell and Charlie Allen began rebuilding the innings and shared a stand of 34 from four overs before Allen went to hold an excellent catch from Moxon just inside the boundary rope at deep mid-wicket as Elliot finished with 2-22 from four overs.

Skipper Luke Townsend took up the challenge, scoring 28 from 23 balls before being caught at the wicket off McKendry with the total on 125 and two overs remaining.

Odell reached a half-century, made off 41 balls, and would finish unbeaten on 54 whilst McKendry’s accurate throw from the deep caught Matthew Head short of his ground as the sixth wicket fell off the final ball of the last over and the innings closed on 135.

Lambert, who had finished with the best figures of 2-18, opened the York reply and got the innings off to a flying start with three boundaries as, with the assistance of some wayward bowling, the home side reached 19 from just nine deliveries before Lambert was bowled by Bradley Heaps for 13.

It proved to be the fielding side's only success as McKendry took control of proceedings with some powerful clean striking, including a couple of exquisite inside-out drives to the cover boundary.

It was not long before the asking rate began to fall as Booth at the other end began to work the ball around the outfield and, with the fielding side unable to stem the flow, there became an air of inevitability about the result.

McKendry reached 50 from just 30 balls, including seven fours and a six, as the pair extended their partnership to three figures at a rate above seven-and-a-half runs an over and it was not long after that the target was reached.

Booth finished unbeaten on 39 (from 48), but it was his partner’s 45-ball innings which stole the show and sent the home side on to the next stage of the competition.

York will now meet Barnsley in the first semi-final on Finals Day at Doncaster.