YORK beat Castleford by 72 runs at Clifton Park on Saturday but were unable to dismiss their last par to ear the full points win.

Sheffield Collegiate crushed Barnsley to join York as leaders of the Oxbridge Yorkshire ECB County Premier Cricket League.

Harrogate could also not dismiss Sheffield United and are seven points behind in third position.

After the early loss of Steve Piercy, York raced away at four an over until a loose shot by Simon mason presented Will Hodson with a return catch.

Nick Kay took up the baton with Will Warne but York lost focus as their second 20 overs yielded less than the first 20 despite losing no wickets.

Warne left with 15 overs remaining and captain Marcus Wood entered to apply the accelerator, smashing 35 runs off 23 balls with five boundaries , including two huge sixes.

Kay, with ten boundaries, strode on to fall before achieving a deserved ton.

Dan Broadbent and Rob Flack followed his lead to give York a total of 241. Left arm spinner David Wainwright's four wickets was Castleford's best bowling.

Greg How and Flack set Castleford back with an early combined spell of 22 overs for only 46.

Castleford's power batsmen Andrew Bourke and John Randerson looked a real threat as they hit a stream of boundaries. Dan Broadbent stepped in to claim Bourke to a Nick Kay catch. In the next over he clean bowled Chris Jackson and shortly afterwards delivered a similar fate for Randerson. Will Warne produced a slick run out to end Wainwright's all-rounder aspirations, Riley O'Neill chipped in with a couple of wickets but, on a true pitch, it proved impossible to remove the last pair.

Updated: 11:18 Monday, August 02, 2004