Copmanthorpe win HPH York Vale Cricket League division one title (From York Press)

Copmanthorpe win HPH York Vale Cricket League division one title

10:45am Thursday 8th September 2011 in York Vale League By Martin Jarred

Copmanthorpe snatched the HPH York Vale Cricket League division one title for the first time in their history after a dramatic final day.

Stockton went into their game against Hemingbrough two points behind Copmanthorpe but harvested the maximum 30 points only to discover Cop gained 28 from their six-wicket win against Wheldrake to leave the rivals on 421 points each.

The Barons Court-based club got the nod by winning more games.

Cop lost the toss against ten-man Wheldrake and were on course to bowl them out so cheaply that they would not have the opportunity to get the extra batting point they required to take the title. A total of 19 wides helped extras account for 29 of Wheldrake’s total of 74 leaving Cop the target they required to get that vital extra point. It was left to Salman Syed (52no) to hit the championship-winning boundary.

Sixteen-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman Dan Barrett scored a brilliant 120 and Jamie Kerrison 65 not out as Stockton piled up 258-8 against Hemingbrough, whose Matthew Milburn (3-24) claimed a hat-trick.

After run-machine Matty Clark was out for 59, Hemingbrough folded as Dan Fairclough finished with 5-53 and Rich Grimes 4-32.

Bishopthorpe finished third after defeating Clifton Alliance, Scott Clapham (79) and a 16-ball 51 not out by Ian Holmes taking the Bishops to a match-winning 250-6.

Kelfield guaranteed their division two survival as Phil Smith smashed an unbeaten 121 from only 85 balls to see his side beat promoted Hirst Courtney, whose opener Phil Alford scored 99.

Both Heworth and University of York Staff have suffered their second successive relegations. Heworth lost at Selby, where Neil Wilson struck an unbeaten half-century, and Staff went down despite winning at Askham Bryan, where Chris Allerton made 98 no out.

Thorpe Willoughby confirmed their status as division three champions by winning a tight game at runners-up York RI by six runs, Pete Mitchell taking 5-27 for RI.

In-form North Duffield thumped Acomb by 95 runs on the back of Shaun Pickles’ 100 which came in 91 minutes.

Division four champions York staged a dramatic recovery on a bowler-friendly wicket at Hemingbrough II. The visitors crashed from 62-1 to 92 all out as Granville North took 8-18. Kal Ahmed responded with a stunning analysis of 12-10-3-4, followed by Bob Proctor’s 4-15 as York won by nine runs.

Copmanthorpe II capped a fine all-round season for the club by wrapping up promotion with a six-wicket win at Wheldrake II.

Stu Ross claimed 6-45 against Burton Salmon for Huntington, who were then rolled over for just 39.

Pete Eastwood bowled Pocklington to victory in division five with sensational figures of 11.3-4-14-8 against Yapham – the best return by a Vale League bowler this season.

That saw Pock finish runners-up to South Cave & Brantingham, but Pock’s promotion has yet to be ratified as the Cave v Dunnington match is subject to an objection by Dunnington. The issue will be dealt with at a league committee meeting next week.

The season ended on a high for Thorpe Willoughby II’s Jake Wild, who smashed 138 not out against Stockton & Hopgrove II then took 5-43. Askham Bryan II skipper Mike Bains made 123 against Drax.