OVINGTON were stunned as what seemed a nailed-on victory against HPH York Vale Cricket League champions North Cave ended in defeat.

Promoted to open the innings, Craig Nicoll scored a superb 101, including six sixes, as Ovington amassed 243-6.

It looked like curtains for Cave when 13-year-old Elliott Norris joined AJ Clarke at the crease with their reply on 144-8. Clarke blasted his team out of trouble in spectacular fashion to score an amazing 151 not out – a blitzkreig which contained 14 sixes and seven fours. Norris, although he didn’t score, hung around to add 62 with Clarke.

With the scores tied with one ball remaining, Clarke and last man John Buttle scrambled a single as the home side missed a run out opportunity to tie the match.

It was more sedate at Fulfordgate where the bottom club lost by seven wickets to leaders Bishopthorpe, whose Ian Holmes continued his great form with 4-13.

Stockton & Hopgrove’s Dan Fairclough bowled two double wicket maidens for his 4-0 in the rout of Kelfield.

Burn put more daylight between themselves and struggling North Duffield with a 19-run win, Dan Montgomery scoring a crucial 67 for Burn.

Ben Johnson, beaten to last season’s second division title by Melbourne, extracted some revenge with a win over the villagers thanks to a 133-run stand between Phil Holland (86) and Martin Reynolds (62). Liam Barlow took 5-57 and scored a half-century for Melbourne.

This season’s division two leaders Hirst Courtney beat Ovington II with Phil Alford, dropped early in his innings, undefeated on 64.

Westow’s Mark Earle caned 142 not out, putting on 120 for the third wicket with Jamie Smith (50), against Stillingfleet. Westow totalled 277-4 – 130 of those runs coming in the last ten overs.

Clifton Alliance openers Joshua Harrison (100) and Alan Barton (77no) shared a fluent 173-run stand but Alliance’s 225-5 was overhauled thanks to Askham Bryan skipper Ali Hogben’s anchor innings of 77.

Leg-spinner Mark Cass took 5-51 in Wheldrake’s last-over win at South Cave.

Division three leaders Yapham made a big statement by thumping second-placed Acomb, Jack Foster’s unbeaten half-century helping Yapham recover from 35-5 to a match-winning 143-8.

Pocklington did well to make 209 against Burn after being 116-7, but Andrew Watson, batting with a runner for most of his innings, scored an unbeaten 101 as the home side won with four overs in hand.

Thorpe Willoughby were skittled for 49 by Bishopthorpe II, all ten batsmen being bowled. Jamie Blackburn (6-15) and Pat Mercer (3-28) both bowled double wicket maidens and Owen Lewis took a wicket with his only delivery.

Yorkshire Under-13 Girls bowler Josie Osborne took 2-25 in nine overs on her senior debut for Ovington III in defeat against Selby II in division four.

Heworth II slid from 48-1 in pursuit of Yapham II’s meagre 69 to 56-7 but managed to stem the panic and win by three wickets.

Thorp Arch & Boston Spa lost the leadership and their 100 per cent winning record when they fell well short of Thixendale’s 203-9.

Press Performance of the Week: AJ Clarke (North Cave) for his amazing unbeaten 151 which snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against big rivals Ovington in division one.