YORK Cricket Club enjoyed a double success over the weekend but the achievement was not without its alarms.

Saturday was the most comfortable win with a nine-wicket Yorkshire League victory at Sheffield United which leaves Marcus Wood's side 15 points clear at the top.

The hosts elected to bat but only Neil Longhurst and veteran Martin Barlow displayed sustained resistance as Dan Broadbent's off spin wore them down with 19 overs to reap a dividend of eight wickets.

Broadbent continued his success with a fifty with the bat but it was Simon Mason who destroyed United by stroking an unbeaten 83 off 51 balls to give his side victory with 25 overs to spare.

Yesterday's win over Methley in the Black Sheep Yorkshire Champions Trophy was considerably more fraught with York winning a tied game by virtue of least wickets lost.

It was a Houdini escape act for York as they had bowled and fielded well below their normal standards.

After a couple of early losses, Mark Fairburn and Mohamed Bilal put York to the sword with 144 runs added in 27 overs.

York were greatly indebted to Nick Kay, who, with Mark Bell, pulled the situation to some sort of order as their 20 overs only yielded 58 runs.

However, Methley's total of 226 seemed pretty formidable as York lost wickets and fell behind the run rate.

Broadbent, Michael Sheedy and Duncan Snell all made useful contributions but the rate had risen to almost nine an over when Andy Kay struck 40 off 25 balls to bring the scores level with a two off the last ball.

York now meet Pudsey St Lawrence in the semi-final on a date to be arranged.

Oxbridge Yorkshire ECB League

Driffield 279-4 (W Wilson 111, P Woodcock 72, M Tennant 65no, J Taylor 3-40), *Appleby Frodingham 173-5 (J Parker 70no, I Amekasinghe 3-42).

Doncaster 148 (S Widdup 33, R Wilkinson 3-42), *Barnsley 149-9 (S Shah 6-43).

*Cleethorpes 125 (G Wilson 33, D Wainwright 7-43, A Baulk 3-38), Castleford 126-6 (A Baulk 61, J Randerson 38, A Carrington 5-43).

Yorkshire Academy 233-8, *Harrogate 234-4 (J Inglis 81, A Twigg 74).

Scarborough 228-6 (R Arendse 100no, D Harland 70, S Powdrell 4-75), *Hull 158 (M Wilkinson 49, A Simpson 35, A Kundi 5-55, J Rewcroft 4-41).

Rotherham 167-9 (D Williams 66, A Wylie 3-37, R Barlow 3-55), *Sheffield Collegiate 171-4 (C Wall 83, J Tasker 57).

*Sheffield Utd 170 (M Barlow 41, D Broadbent 8-49), York 171-1 (D Broadbent 54no, S Mason 83no).

Played yesterday:

Sheffield Collegiate 198-9 (J Tasker 72, E McKenna 40; R Gilbert 6-70), Scarborough 199-2 (R Arendse 108no); Yorkshire Academy 306-7 (A Lyth 111), Sheffield United 107; Hull 184-9, Doncaster 185-5.

Updated: 11:15 Monday, July 04, 2005