A WHIRLWIND 90 from Australian run machine Dan Wilson and six wickets from paceman Neil Laidlaw got York Cricket Club off to a winning start in the Oxbridge Yorkshire ECB County Premier League.

Laidlaw’s 6-78 in 20 overs helped bowl out hosts Sheffield Collegiate for 183 and Wilson’s 104-ball knock eased the champions to an opening day win in the 41st over.

Collegiate won the toss and elected to bat, with Michael Simpson starting aggressively. He made 20 of the first 25 runs before giving York skipper Marcus Wood an easy catch off Laidlaw.

The next three batsmen fell for ducks and before long Collegiate were 35-6.

Alex Patmore and Nadeem Khan then added 136 runs for the seventh wicket before Khan was caught on the boundary off Nick Kay’s bowling for 88, with the score on 171.

Patmore was out for 38 and the last pair added 12 runs.

Laidlaw was well supported by Kay, who took 3-32.

York openers Duncan Snell and Wilson made a sound but steady start, with 26 runs coming off the first 14 overs.

Collegiate overseas player Kamasen Nayager kept things tight, with only eight runs conceded off his first ten overs.

The Collegiate change bowlers, however, were far more expensive and Nadeem Khan’s first over went for 18 runs.

In his next, he dismissed Snell, caught at the wicket for 20.

Mason and Wilson added 31 runs in 18 minutes, before Mason became Khan’s second victim.

Ashley Hulme joined Wilson, who was by now in full cry.

Wilson had made 90 in 109 minutes when he was caught at the wicket, with the score on 138.

The pair had added 43 runs in 22 minutes.

Kay joined Hulme and they acquired the remaining 46 runs in only seven overs.

Hulme finished with 54 not out, made off 50 balls including ten fours.

York’s victory came with more than 17 overs to spare and earned them the full eight points in an excellent start to the defence of their title.