BISHOPTHORPE won the York Vale Cricket League’s HPH Cup for the first time after a rain-defying victory against Stockton & Hopgrove at Heworth.

After a heavy downpour threatened to wipe out an intriguing contest, the Bishops emerged five-wicket winners under leaden skies.

Stockton were bowled out for 144, Matt Durkin scoring a superb 70 until he fell to the medium pace of Sam Davies (3-28). Durkin lacked meaningful support and it needed some late hitting by number nine Dan Fairclough (23) to get S&H up to a competitive total.

Fairclough was bowled by Ian Holmes, who finished with 3-41.

Bishopthorpe got off to a cracking start thanks to Colin Markham (24), batting with a runner, and Ross Kelly (17).

The first wicket fell at 47 and, although Bish were well ahead of the run rate, wickets kept falling, notably Scott Clapham to a great catch in the deep by Tom Williams and a calamitous run out of Scott Reeves.

At 88-5, the game was in the balance, but Mike Dale (24no) and Ian Holmes (33no) steadied the ship and saw Bish to within 22 runs of their target before a heavy downpour threatened to wash the game out.

The match restarted after a half-hour break and the pair easily knocked off the winning runs with four overs to spare.

There was a major upset in the semi-final of the Prendergast Memorial Cup as Acomb, languishing in mid-table in division three, thrashed division two leaders Thixendale by 96 runs.

Steve Lennox set the tone by hammering 65 from 46 balls while Freddie Littlewood (59no) notched his maiden half-century as Acomb piled up 258-5 – having being bowled out for a season-low of 38 the previous day.

Acomb will meet in-form Stillingfleet in the final at Dunnington on August 25. Fleet swept aside Copmanthorpe by nine wickets, Chris Gill (84) hammering five sixes in his 137-run stand with fellow opener Campbell Thomson (49no). Earlier, Cop had been restricted to 143-9 in their 40 overs.

Kelfield beat Hirst Courtney by 86 runs in their Guy Mitchell Cup semi-final which was rained off the previous week. Andy Charlton (63) top scored as Kelfield posted 226-6 and 18-year-old Jacob Atkinson (5-43) finished the job off as Hirst were bowled out for 141.

Kelfield will face Hemingbrough in the final at Pocklington on August 18.