BISHOPTHORPE remain on course to become the first club to win the HPH Cup three years in a row after beating North Cave in the semi-finals.

They will face Ovington in a repeat of last year's final at Acomb on Sunday, July 26.

Scott Clapham scored a 90 not as Bishopthorpe successfully chased down 170 to beat Cave at Ferry Lane.

Mike Stellings (47), Will Ferguson (56) and James Windeatt (40) gave Cave a good base but Ian Holmes (4-33) then took four wickets in an over, all four clean bowled, as Cave were restricted to 170-9 from their 40 overs.

Mike Stellings (3-12) took three early wickets to leave Bishopthorpe in trouble at 25-3 and by the 29th over they were 106-5. With the game in the balance, Clapham took charge, finishing with two huge straight sixes to win the game with five wickets and 21 balls to spare.

Ovington didn't quite have it all their own way in the other semi-final against second division Westow thanks to all-rounder Mark Earle. The village side's skipper set the tone by scoring 15 off the first over and Westow were a healthy 72-0 after 14 overs. The second wicket did not fall until the 30th over with the score on 138, when Andy Philips went for 33.

However, the key wicket was that off Earle who was bowled for a classy 78 by Dominic Kitching who went on to claim 4-36 as Westow collapsed to 163-9.

Craig Nicoll got Ovington's reply off to a flying start, making his 67 inside just 14 overs and the score was chased down with little fuss with eight overs to spare. Earle followed his fine batting performance by taking 2-25 from his 10 overs.

Devaststing bowling by Jamie Blackburn swept an under-strength Burton Salmon aside as Bishopthorpe II cruised into the semi-finals of the Scothern Construction Cup by nine wickets.

He had superb figures of 10-3-9-6, which would have been even better if wicketkeeper Marc Deamer had not dropped four chances off his bowling, as Salmon were shot out for just 49. Bish knocked off the required runs in 5.5 overs in 22 minutes.

It was also one-sided as Hemingbrough II of division two easily beat their lowly division three opponents Thorpe Willoughby by 100 runs. Hemingbrough opener John Cockerill hammered a hard-hitting 71, supported by a season’s best 45 from Jason Laing and Ben Lister (38) as ’Brough finished on an impressive 251-8. Luke Mitchell was the pick of the bowlers with 4-54. Thorpe were never in the chase, an unbeaten 45 from Andy McAvoy seeing them to 151-5 at stumps.

Ovington III beat Thixendale with youngster Charlie Buckley (32no) enjoying an unbeaten partnership of 48 with his father Richard to help Ovington finish with 169-7. That looked well short when Thixendale were 110-2 thanks to Edward Medforth (41) and Geoff Room (31). But the match turned as Buckley senior took 4-12 from 5.2 overs while his son returned 2-56 from 10 overs, seeing Thixendale bowled out for 148.

In the Scothern semi-finals, Bishopthorpe II will entertain Wheldrake while Hemingbrough host Ovington III. Both matches will be played on Sunday, July 26.

The final will be played at Pocklington on Sunday, August 9.