YORK toppled champions Cleethorpes by one wicket in a fluctuating and exciting Yorkshire ECB Premier League contest at Clifton Park on Saturday.

It was a good pitch and Cleethorpes raced to 60 off the first 15 overs, suggesting that York would be chasing leather. But the introduction of off spinners Riley O'Neill and Dan Broadbent altered the tempo.

In his second over O'Neill trapped Shane Deitz with a slower ball just as the eight-boundary Aussie threatened to dominate the game.

Then Broadbent trapped opener Will Kirby in front and the pair went on to strangle the Lincolnshire batters who managed to leave four men untested as they scratched a modest total of 185 for the loss of only five wickets.

Despite the early loss of Stephen Piercy, York began to make light of the task as Simon Mason and Nick Kay struck boundaries to all parts of the ground. But they both departed to careless shots in the space of four deliveries and O'Neill was out first ball to leave York struggling at 54-4.

Skipper Marcus Wood had been promising all week to make an impact on his team's cricket and he led a 78-run revival stand with Broadbent and continued with Rob Flack, who defied the loss of partners to strike a four in the last over to give his side victory.

At times York may have made hard work of this victory but they certainly worked hard as a team to ensure that success did not escape their clutches.

York v Cleethorpes

Cleethorpes: S Deitz c and b O'Neill 51, W Kirby lbw b Broadbent 24, A Osmond st Mason b Broadbent 23, J Trower ct Carroll b O'Neill 28, J Osmond ct Mason b Broadbent 20, N Wheeler not out 18, J Victory not out 14. Extras 7. Total 185-5.

Bowling: R Carroll 6-2-24-0, R Flack 6-0-24-0, G How 6-1-21-0, R O'Neill 21-2-67-2, D Broadbent 16-2-41-3

York: S Piercy lbw b Carrington 1, S Mason b Carrington 23, N Kay c Kirby b Ellis 26, M Wood lbw b Deitz 47, R O'Neill lbw b Carrington 0, D Broadbent b Deitz 40, R Flack not out 28, W Warne b Deitz 1, G How ct Ellis b Deitz 5, N Durham b Carrington 5, R Carroll not out 0. Extras 10. Total 186-9.

Bowling: S Sergeant 8-0-32-0, A Carrington 19-2-60-4, A Ellis 11-4-27-1, A Osmond 5-1-20-0, S Deitz 11.2-0-44-4

York won by one wicket.

Updated: 09:29 Monday, May 24, 2004