YORK'S Tom Friend became the first to score a double century in the Hunters ECB Yorkshire Premier League North.

He finished unbeaten on 213 against Easingwold, and his opening stand of 265 with Duncan Snell, who made 92, was also a record partnership for any wicket, breaking the previous best of 217 set by Andrew Bilton and Tom Young of Woodhouse Grange against the same opposition earlier this season.

All this meant that the home side were able to reach 360-3, a total which proved well beyond the visitors who, despite 47 from skipper Kyle Waite and 31 from Hamid Khan, were bowled out for 138, with both Tom Pringle (4-9) and Daniel Woods (4-29) among the wickets.

Stamford Bridge moved a step closer to the title with a 100-run victory over Clifton Alliance at Low Catton Road.

The leaders' tenth straight win came on the back of an all-round performance from recent signing Ryan Gibson, who made 73 out of 290-9, which also included 74 from Dominic Rhodes and a half-century from Ryan McKendry (54) as Alex Renton (3-47) picked up three wickets.

Gibson (5-49) and McKendry (3-25) then shared the majority of the wickets as visiting skipper Scott Hopkinson (43) provided the only meaningful resistance, the result leaving his side just a point off the relegation places.

Yorkshire Academy made it five wins in a row with a 211-run victory over Acomb at Weetwood.

Openers Bilal Anjum (75) and Ben Birkhead (46) got the home side off to an excellent start, Anjum going on to share in a stand of 119 for the second wicket with Tom Loten (105), while Alec Drury (55no) ensured the total went beyond 300 with an unbeaten half-century late on.

Matthew Dale top-scored with 30 in the visitors' 92, four runs fewer than when the sides met in June, but this time James Logan (6-30) and Josh Sullivan (3-13) were the main wicket-takers.

Two of the competition's form sides met at Moor Farm, and it was hosts Sheriff Hutton Bridge who extended their winning run to five matches at the expense of Driffield Town's own five-match unbeaten run, despite a century form Ben Kohler-Cadmore (102).

The visitors' total also included a half-century from Nick Hardgrave (56), but they were restricted to 222, thanks to a fine performance from Ben Harrison, who finished with 5-21.

The home side passed their target with eight overs to spare, thanks to half-centuries from Adam Fisher (65) and Rob Pinder (51), with Karl Carver there at the end on 31 not out.

Harrogate beat Scarborough in one of the season's closest finishes, the home side winning at St George's Road by just seven runs.

The champions put their recent batting woes behind them to reach 257-8, with both skipper George Ross (78) and Jonathan Tattersall (94) making telling contributions, while Ben Elvidge (3-85) picked up three wickets.

The visitors were always in the contest thanks to runs from Alex Carrie (72), Oliver Stephenson (50) and Darren Harland (74), but none of the trio were able to see their side home.

Tom Geeson-Brown finished with 3-73 from a match in which both sides could be satisfied with the upturn in their batting fortunes.

Hull boosted their chances of Premier League survival with victory in a tense encounter against Woodhouse Grange at Sandhill Lane.

The east-coast side. who moved to within a point of safety, were grateful for a century opening stand by Andrew Simpson (43) and Peter Shally (73) after which they suffered something of a collapse, finishing on 194-9.

Josh Jackson (3-39) and Chris Suddaby (4-43) looked to have given the home side the advantage, and when Andrew Bilton (56) and brother Chris (48) were at the crease that continued to be the case, but Hull showed the kind of resolve which they will need going into the closing weeks.

Dave Barrick (5-40) and Andrew Simpson (3-41) were their main wicket takers but it was Steve Sergeant who picked up the key last wicket with just three balls remaining.