YORK failed to reach Final’s Day of the Hunters T20 Blast after they were soundly beaten by Yorkshire Academy in the deciding fixture of the qualifying group at Shipton Road.

The best of the county's young cricketers put in a commanding performance in the last game of the day to win by nine wickets with almost seven overs to spare.

The home side began in positive fashion, scoring 23 from the first three overs before the batting hero of the day’s first match – the victory of Scarborough – Chris Booth fended off a delivery from Jared Warner straight into the gloves of ‘keeper Benjamin Birkhead.

Despite that early setback, Liam McKendry and Duncan Snell took advantage of some wayward bowling and uncharacteristic lapses in the field to build a partnership of 56 from the next seven overs.

But the stand was ended when McKendry, having scored 33 from 25 balls, was caught by Harry Brook at deep mid-wicket off the bowling of Jack Shutt. Momentum was still firmly with the batting side at that stage but that changed three overs later when Snell (39) drove a ball to Ed Barnes who took an excellent catch just inches of the ground at cover to give Jordan Thompson the first of two wickets. And it was his spell, which also included the wicket of Alex Collins, of 2-14 from four overs that turned the match in the visitors favour.

Ryan McKendry finished unbeaten on 23 from 18 deliveries but the home side managed just 32 runs from their final seven overs following the departure of Snell, and hit just one four and no sixes in that time, finishing on a disappointing total of 130-6 from 20 overs.

The home side’s inability to find the boundary was brought sharply into perspective by Academy opener Brook who struck six consecutive fours, including four in a row of York skipper Dan Woods opening over.

Brook was responsible for 38 of a 50 runs opening partnership with Benjamin Ainsley which came off just 21 balls, the bowling side simply unable to stem the flow of runs.

There was brief a respite from the onslaught when Ryan McKendry picked up the only wicket to fall, Snell taking the catch at mid on to dismiss Brook (38 off 17 with eight fours).

Any hope the bowling side had of getting back into the contest soon evaporated as Matthew Waite got into his stride, the visiting captain striking five fours and two sixes, the second of which brought an end to proceedings midway through the 14th over.

Waite finished unbeaten on 48 from 31 deliveries and Ainsley was only marginally less imposing his 40 coming off only 34 balls, as the visitors sealed their place at Scarborough later in the season.

Booth earlier scored an unbeaten 61 as York beat Scarborough by nine wickets to set up the decider against the Academy boys.