HARROGATE’S advantage at the top of the Hunters ECB Yorkshire Premier League North was cut in half after their ten-match winning run, stretching back to early May, was ended, with Driffield Town completing the double over the leaders.

Just as in the earlier meeting between the sides, it was Town’s spinners Alec Drury (3-51) and Nick Hardgrave (4-20) who did the damage, sharing seven wickets as the visitors were bowled out for 161, skipper George Ross making 50.

That was in reply to the home side's imposing 290-7 in which five of the top six all went past 40, with George Drury (67), Sam Drury (50) and skipper Danny Broumpton (51) making half-centuries.

An opening stand of 155 between Joe Ashdown (80) and Duncan Snell (82), who became the league's leading run- scorer in the process, set up second-placed York’s victory over visitors Castleford as the home side chased down 209 for the loss of four wickets, three of which went to Liam Hyde (3-42).

Earlier, overseas signing Mohammad Waqas (107) had produced his best batting performance to date, making a century from 112 balls, including three successive sixes, but the rest of the line-up succumbed, with wickets for each of the six bowlers used by the hosts.

The result leaves Castleford propping up the table, and only a dramatic change of fortune is now likely to save them from relegation.

Yorkshire Academy kept up the pressure on the top two, winning by 59 runs at home to Stamford Bridge.

Openers Harry Brook (84) and Benjamin Ainsley (94) got the hosts off to an excellent start, scoring 146 from 33 overs, and, despite three wickets from Donovan Sinclair, the visitors were left chasing a total of 253-5.

The West Indian completed a fine personal performance with an unbeaten century, but his 107 – more than half his side's 194-8 – was in vain as they finished well short of the target, while James Logan became the first bowler to reach 50 wickets in the competition, returning 4-39.

Samuel Anthony scored the highest individual innings of the season so far, making 128 as Sheriff Hutton Bridge reached a mammoth 332-8 against Scarborough at North Marine Road, sharing a fifth-wicket stand of 124 with Yorkshire’s Karl Carver (43).

In response for the home side, Mark Tennant remained unbeaten on 60 and Jack Holt, coming in at No 8, scored a half-century, as, despite Carver (3-70) and Stephen Croft (4-73) sharing seven wickets, the home side closed on 251-8 to take two vital points as they sit just above the relegation places.

Acomb took another step towards securing their Premier League status for next season thanks to an outstanding performance from Andrew Brewster, who returned 7-35 from 14 overs as Hull were bowled out for 171, ending a sequence of four straight wins for them.

Peter Shally top-scored with 41 as the home side replied to the visitors’ 202-8, which was built around an unbeaten 87 from Kiwi Brandon Weal, who shared a stand of 92 with Joe Dale (49) before the latter became the first of four victims for Jahangir Alam (4-60).

Despite climbing off the foot of the table thanks to two points from their match with local rivals Woodhouse Grange, Dunnington are facing the prospect of needing to win at least three of their remaining seven games to avoid an immediate return to the York & District Senior League.

A strong showing from the visitors’ middle order brought runs for Mike Burdett (60), Chris Bilton (56) and Tom Young (55) as they reached 233-6.

The hosts slumped to 60-5 before a fight-back from Jake Murphy (42) and Mubtada Akhtar (47) helped their side hold out to reach 199-9 at the close, Steve Burdett taking 4-63.