YORK’S under-11s have made a flying start to the Yorkshire Junior Cricket Festival campaign with back-to-back wins.

Airedale & Wharfedale were despatched in the opening game at Woodhouse Grange and the Minster city youngsters then beat hosts Scarborough at Pickering in the festival competition, which was formerly the Lord’s Taverners.

Airedale & Wharfedale elected to bat first at Woodhouse and lost their first wicket in the sixth over to Harry Watkinson.

Tight bowling by York kept the visitors in check and they had only 24 runs on the board by the 15th over, when they lost their second wicket to a runout.

Another runout plus two catches for ’keeper Theo Smurden and two outfield catches for Edward Ramsden restricted Airedale & Wharfedale to 93-7 off their 30 overs.

Harry Watkinson, with 2-14, and Sam Backhouse, with 2-19, recorded the best bowling figures.

Isaac Giannini was unlucky with his off-spin, picking up no wickets despite bowling three maidens in a six-over spell which yielded only nine runs.

York’s Dan Toone and Edward Ramsden put on 41 for the first wicket before Ramsden was caught for 24.

Smurden joined Toone and made ten before he was lbw, while a runout accounted for Watkinson and Giannini followed shortly after when he was stumped.

Toone was a runout casualty after compiling 23, but Jamie Thornton’s robust innings of 15 saw York home in the 29th over.

Away to Scarborough, York fielded first and restricted the hosts to 97-7.

Giannini finished with figures of 2-15, Chris Wood took 1-12 from six overs and Thomas Brown 1-13, while Backhouse also took a wicket.

York’s reply started badly as three wickets fell with the score on ten, and Wood then fell to a superb outfield catch for 14 to leave York in trouble at 25-4.

Watkinson and Tim Burgess compiled a stand of 24 before Burgess was bowled for ten.

Jamie Thornton (23no) joined Watkinson (33no) in a match-winning stand, with the target reached in the 27th over.

York’s game at Pontefract tomorrow will determine if they progress any further in the competition.