THE Hunters ECB Yorkshire Premier League North title race is going down to the wire, with the top three still in with a chance of glory after Stamford Bridge won a thrilling encounter against Yorkshire Academy, and York gained the initiative with victory against Easingwold.

Results elsewhere also ensured it will by a nervous last day of the season for the sides at the bottom, with the final relegation place still to be decided.

The game of the day took place at Weetwood, where leaders Yorkshire Academy hosted third- placed Stamford Bridge.

The home side, unbeaten in their last eight matches, knew that victory would all but assure them of the title, and Harry Brook (47), Benjamin Birkhead (72) and Matthew Fisher (50) looked to have put them in a strong position with 252-5 to defend.

Opener Stuart Boyle contributed to the chase with 49 but it was two ex-players who turned the tables on their former side.

Ryan Gibson struck a quickfire 46 at the top of the order before Will Rhodes, who captained the Academy to the title in 2014, saw the visitors home with an unbeaten 94, but it was far from straightforward, with the winning runs coming with just three balls of the match remaining.

While their title rivals were battling it out, farther afield it was very much a local affair at Shipton Road as York took on Clifton Alliance.

The home side's 314-4 was built around a century from Jack Leaning (112), and his partnership of 154 with Matthew Waite (92) took the game away from the visitors after Duncan Snell had made 46.

Scott Hopkinson took three of the wickets to fall.

Greg Drewery (43) top-scored in the visitors' total of 120 as spinners Tom Pringle (5-23) and Daniel Woods (3-35) wrapped up the win, which gives their side a two-point advantage over Stamford Bridge and a gap of six to the Yorkshire Academy going in to their final game at home to Driffield Town, where a win will see them crowned as champions.

Hull escaped the bottom two for the first time in almost two months with victory at home to already-relegated Easingwold, who travel to Yorkshire Academy on the final day still in search of their first Premier League win.

Paul Skilbeck (37), Hamid Khan (32) and Aubrey Towler (31) all made starts for the visitors but Dave Barrick finished with 6-48 as they were bowled out for 181.

Matthew Wilkinson (71) and then Chris Grey (59no) helped the home side to a comfortable victory with more than 20 overs to spare, and a repeat performance against fellow strugglers Acomb would guarantee survival in the top flight.

Relegation-threatened Acomb gave their chances of survival a massive boost with a dramatic late victory at North Marine Road, with the winning runs against Scarborough coming with just two balls to spare.

Openers Alex Carrie (49) and Neil Elvidge (48) give the hosts the perfect start but the innings fell away dramatically as Joe Dale took 4-45 and Tom Neal (3-52), with the last five wickets adding just 26 in a total of 216.

The visitors looked to be in trouble when three early wickets from Bradley Scott (5-64) helped reduce them to 69-5 but Joe Dale (49) and Jonny Rawsthorne (74) got the innings back on track to set up the much-needed win.

A second century against Harrogate by Afaq Rahim (100) was not enough to prevent Driffield Town succumbing to a seven-wicket defeat at St George's Road.

The visitors' overseas star played something of a lone hand as his side were bowled out for 179, with Harrow Stow (4-15) and Tom Geeson-Brown (3-38) doing most of the damage.

The hosts cruised to victory inside 30 overs, thanks to a half-century from Josh Atkinson (52) and an unbeaten 85 from Jonathan Tattersall.

Sheriff Hutton Bridge's disappointing end to the season continued as they lost for the third week in a row, with the latest defeat coming at Woodhouse Grange.

Chris Wood top-scored with 66 in the home side's 184-7, which included 39 from Andrew Bilton.

Oliver Grayson replied with 48 for Bridge but they were undone by Steve Burdett, who finished with 5-28 as the visitors were bowled out for 134.