YORK'S five-wicket victory at Driffield demonstrated the flip side of their success this season.

The Clifton Park's spin-dominated attack has spearheaded several successes this summer, but Saturday's win was a triumph for their batsmen in knocking off the Woldsmen's total of 248.

Driffield elected to bat and got off to an assured start through Will Sygrove and Mark Tennant.

With 45 runs on the board Kiwi ace Jeetan Patel came on to claim Tennant via a Steve Piercy catch. In the following over Greg How, in the middle of a 16-overs spell, bowled Sygrove and two overs later struck again with the vital blow of dismissing the prolific Mohammed Zaman for no score.

Chris Chapman and Steve Winterbottom rescued the innings for the hosts with 50 apiece before Rob Drury added a forceful 48 to lift Driffield to 248 for 6 wickets.

York soon lost leading scorer Piercy, who, nonetheless, passed 700 runs for the season before he was out.

However, Simon Mason produced the serene form he has threatened all season scoring freely and hitting 15 boundaries, including one six, as he passed the 500-run mark for the campaign.

Mason was supported by a resolute knock from Mike Mortimer and a cavalier innings from Marcus Wood, but both fell, as did Mason, to promising young off-spinner Steve Tennant.

But York strode home with five wickets and seven deliveries to spare as Dan Broadbent applied the final touches.

York stand five points clear of Castleford who out-pointed Sheffield Collegiate yesterday. Collegiate are third, six points further adrift and two points ahead of Scarborough, who lost to Harrogate.

However,. the spa town side play both Castleford and York next Bank Holiday weekend.

Updated: 15:38 Wednesday, August 20, 2003