AN INSIPRED performance from York Cricket Club's seam bowlers helped the Clifton Parkers canter to victory over Harrogate with 30 overs to spare.

York stunned the visitors - bowling them out for just 118 - in a clash against the Solly Sports Yorkshire ECB Premier League leaders that they knew if they lost would almost certainly spell the end of their title hopes.

But Adam Whatley (69no) made light of the conditions as his unbeaten half century eased York to success.

Harrogate, with three of the league’s top ten leading run scorers in their line up, won the toss and chose to bat but persistent light drizzle began to fall before play could get under way.

It finally abated after an hour and a half and Harrogate openers Conner Ryan and Jason Latham made a promising start despite overhead conditions favouring the bowling side.

The pair put on 45 in eight overs thanks in part to some wayward bowling but, when Chris Burn (3-37) replaced Whatley, the complexion of the innings changed. Ryan (21) was first to go - bowled in Burn’s opening over and, when Latham went the same way to debutant Chris Hunter in the next, the visitors were forced to consolidate.

Former Yorkshire Academy pair Jonathon Tattersall and George Ross came together but, despite Tattersall showing glimpses of the form that has brought him two centuries and four half centuries to date, York were still able to gain a measure of control.

The total had reached 80 when Ross pushed a tame catch to Alex Collins at extra cover to give Burn his second wicket and it was his combined efforts with Charlie Elliot (3-25) that stifled the scoring and eventually brought the downfall of Tattersall for 26.

Only six runs had come from the previous five overs when, in an attempt to break the shackles, the diminutive Tattersall clipped a ball straight into the hands of Collins, this time at square-leg, and Burn had his third wicket of a probing spell.

David Foster fell to a good low catch at slip in Elliot’s next over and, at 99-5, the hosts were well on top. Jack Potter’s stubborn resistance ended when on 17, and the total on 117, he sent a straightforward catch to Hunter at mid-wicket off Elliot.

It sparked a collapse which saw the last four wickets add just one run to the total. Captain Nick Kay had taken two wickets in two balls when a further shower forced the players off and, although he was unable to claimed a hat-trick upon the resumption, it took Hunter just three balls to close out the innings - McKendry taking a second slip catch of the afternoon.

Whatley, and opening partner Simon Lambert, adopted a positive approach from the start in York's reply.

Twenty eight of the Australian’s first 29 runs came in boundaries as the total reached 50 inside eight overs.

The partnership was broken shortly after by Russell White (3-32), when Lambert drove loosely and was caught at extra cover, but Whatley continued to play in expansive fashion and reached fifty off 41 balls - including two sixes and nine fours - four of which came off the same Sam Davies over.

White picked up two further wickets, and spinner Foster one, as the visitors briefly threatened to force their way into the game but the inability to dislodge the overseas opener prevented any chance of sparking a similar ending to the innings which they endured.