YORK Cricket Club opened up a ten point gap over Barnsley after dismissing Appleby Frodingham in just over three hours in the Solly Sports Yorkshire ECB County Premier League.

The eight wicket success was the Clifton Parkers' 11th straight win, while their South Yorkshire rivals' surprise defeat to Doncaster Town puts them in the driving seat with three games to go.

Appleby arrived at Shipton Road looking for their first victory over York since 1999 but, with three of their best players missing, were always facing an uphill battle.

Skipper Duncan Heath chose to bat first and, after an early flurry of boundaries took the total to 21, he lost opening partner Kieran Lindley, Adam Whatley found the outside edge and ‘keeper Tom Brooks, playing for the first time against his former side, took the catch.

A second wicket partnership of 22 between the captain and his younger brother John proved to be the highlight of a disappointing batting display as an inexperienced batting line-up struggled to cope on a pitch offering assistance to the home side's spinners.

Tom Pringle struck first, removing John Heath in his first over for 17 thanks to a catch at slip by Liam McKendry.

Yorkshire’s Jack Leaning was a late but welcome inclusion in the York line-up and he was in the action when taking a catch at short mid-wicket to give Ryan McKendry the first of four wickets.

His second, four overs later, saw him become the first bowler to reach fifty League wickets this season.

Brooks stumped his opposite number Alex Grimes off McKendry and Pringle was rewarded for a spell of ten overs costing just nine runs with two wickets in the space of three balls.

Duncan Heath was bowled for 36 and South African import Zane Scott went the same way two deliveries later with the score 81-7.

Pringle claimed his second five wicket haul of the campaign, finishing with remarkable figures of 5-14 from 14 overs, but it was McKendry (4-40) who closed out the innings when last man Paul Hilton was caught in the deep by Whatley with the total on 96.

Openers Simon Lambert and Jack Leaning did not have things all their own way as York replied.

Matt Fowler picked up the wicket of Lambert, caught down the leg side, and Leaning was just getting into his stride, having hit a six and two fours, when he miscued a delivery from John Heath - the ball lobbing up to Sam Yates at point with the total on 66.

Liam McKendry, already on 30 by then, went on to reach 50 off 43 balls including eight fours and two sixes. He finished on 52 but it was left to younger brother Ryan to score the winning boundary as York reached their target inside 18 overs.