HARROGATE will go into their top-of-the-table clash against York next week with a seven point advantage after both were comfortable winners in the latest round of matches in the Hunters ECB Yorkshire Premier League North.

The League leaders, having scraped past bottom of the table Dunnington the previous week, enjoyed a comfortable five wicket victory over a visiting Hull side which has now lost three in a row.

The visitors' top four all made useful runs, Andrew Simpson the top scorer with 56, but from 151-2 they fell away somewhat, finishing 220 all out off the final ball of their 50 overs with David Foster (3-66) and George Ross (3-57) both picking up three wickets.

Opener Matthew Good led the hosts reply with 73 and when he was out Foster took over, finishing unbeaten on 61 as the home side reached their target with almost seven overs to spare.

Liam McKendry (98) narrowly missed out on a century as York reached 280-9 against Scarborough at Shipton Road.

But the hosts looked on course for an even bigger total as McKendry added 170 for the second wicket with Duncan Snell (62) inside the first 30 overs, before the visitors came back through Kristian Wilkinson (4-72) and Theo Smith (3-47).

Despite their efforts, the total always looked beyond the visitors once they had been reduced to 10-3 in reply.

Alex Carrie (52) and Theo Smith (50) both made half-centuries but the hosts collected maximum points with skipper Daniel Woods taking 4-55.

Yorkshire Academy lost ground on the top two despite extending their winning run to four games as they were unable to bowl out a determined Woodhouse Grange side at Sandhill Lane.

Ben Ainsley continued the form which has now brought him 257 runs from the last three innings, the opener making an unbeaten century as, with help from Mosun Hussain (46), the visitors chased down a target of 208 for the loss of just three wickets.

The hosts' skipper Andrew Bilton had earlier made 76 but lacked the support required to post a more challenging total whilst spinners Jack Shutt and James Logan shared 32 overs and four wickets to leave their side in control.

It was a similar story for Sheriff Hutton Bridge as Acomb’s last wicket pair of Joe Dale (79no) and George Sykes (23no) put on an unbroken stand of 55 from the final ten overs to earn their side two points and deny the visitors ten.

Robert Pinder (83no), Samuel Anthony (77) and Mark Fisher (55) all contributed to a target of 257-5, but despite four wickets from Yorkshire’s Karl Carver (4-43) and three from Stephen Croft (3-54), the home side held out.

Stamford Bridge climbed above Driffield Town thanks to a convincing victory over the visitors by 87 runs.

Openers Stuart Boyle (58) and Dominic Rhodes (53) got the hosts off to the perfect start with a partnership of 115 before Casey Rudd (4-22) and Nick Hardgrave (4-66) struck back as six wickets fell in the space of seven overs towards the end of the innings – resulting in a total of 239-9.

The visitors began with a 57 partnership of their own but once Donovan Sinclair had removed the top four on his way to figures of 6-48, there was only going to be one winner.

There were also three wickets for Will Rhodes but just as at Acomb the bowlers were left frustrated by a final wicket pair, this time Alec Drury and Ollie Ezard seeing out almost ten overs as ‘Town closed on 152-9.

At the foot of the table Castleford gave their chances of survival a boost with victory over fellow relegation favourites Dunnington.

David Wainwright’s 121 not out came after Tom Loten (4-61) had reduced the home side to 33-3.

A stand of 123 with James Sykes (30) got the side back on track and they eventually reached 198-6.

Tom O’Connor (2-30) struck twice in the opening over after the interval and the visitors struggled to recover thanks to Eddie Morrison (3-40) and skipper Wainwright (3-25), who is likely to have to turn in a few more outstanding all-round performances if the Savile Park club are to remain in the top flight.