Timed to perfection

Rising batting star Michael Mortimer was the hero with an unbeaten 75 for the Clifton Park side.

It was also a personal triumph for their teenage all-rounder, Stephen Piercy, who bowled his heart out for a 22-over return of 3-79 with his off-spin to help to contain Appleby-Frodingham to a total of 213 for 6 although an improvement in York's fielding would have kept this total lower.

Appleby-Frodingham were given a cracking start with an opening stand of 121 in 39 overs before Paul Taylor was run out with his score on 60.

Earlier he had pulled a muscle in his groin and needed a runner, a factor that helped York to grab their first wicket.

Taylor's partner, New Zealander Richard King went on to carry his bat with a splendid 88.

York made a shaky start to their reply, losing Marcus Wood (18) and Ed Senneck (4) by the 14th over at 18 for 2 before Nick Kay produced a vital half century.

After the loss of Nash Stone for a duck, Kay and York's new batting prospect, Mortimer, took the score to 103 for 3 before Kay was bowled by Dransfield after being at the crease for 77 minutes facing 75 deliveries.

An unbeaten century stand in just over an hour followed with left hander Mortimer ending with his highest score in the league - 75no. Ben Quick finished also unbeaten with a supporting 32.

York's fourth win from eight games puts them in good heart to extract more league points at home to Barnsley in the league next Saturday ahead of Sunday's regional semi-final of the National Club Knock Out Cup against Methley, also at Clifton Park.

Scarborough's right-arm swing bowler Neil Fletcher produced the first nine-wicket haul since Rotherham's Lesroy Weekes bowled out Appleby-Frodingham with 9-23 four years ago.

Fletcher's blitz against Hull at the Hull University ground equalled that of 9-19 by Peter Ellis playing for Doncaster Town against Barnsley in 1996.

As a result of Fletcher's onslaught, Hull were bowled out for 84 in 51 overs, Scarborough's eight-wicket win being a mere formality as they reached their target for the loss of two wickets with Andrew Gallagher scoring 43no and Victor Craven adding an unbeaten 36.

Scarborough now share top place with Harrogate, who entered the weekend just two points in front but struggled to keep Driffield at bay at St George's Road.

An innings of 66 from Paul Hampshire, a half century by Peter Hepworth and 34 from John Inglis had helped to provide a Harrogate total of 225 for 7 for their bowlers to defend.

Driffield's batsmen provided tough opposition and took the score to within three runs of what would have been a shock victory before their 55 overs ran out at 223-5.

Australian Rod Gibbs (63), Andy Southwick (49) and Mick Drury (38) provided Driffield's main runs.

There was another shock in store for Cleethorpes' Kiwi Test star Matthew Sinclair.

He was stumped for two by Doncaster's 15-year-old wicketkeeper Andy Chadwick after facing just three deliveries.

Undoubtedly young Chadwick's effort provided the turning point in Town's ten-wicket victory over Cleethorpes, who suffered their third defeat after Kiwi Sinclair had failed for the third time after scoring 700 runs in six innings.

APPLEBY-FRODINGHAM v YORK

Appleby-Frodingham: R King not out 88, P Taylor run out 60, J Parker c&b Piercy 8, J Taylor b Quick 4, M Morland c&b Quick 1, R Dransfield b Piercy 20, M Bramley b Piercy 20, A Ellis not out 1, Extras 11, Total (6wkts) 213.

Bowling: R Gilbert 6-2-10-0, R Flack 17-5-53-0, S Piercy 22-3-79-3, T Pringle 4-0-24-0, M Mortimer 2-0-15-0, B Quick 4-1-23-2.

York: M Wood c Day b Powell 18, E Senneck b Ellis 4, N Kay b Dransfield 53, N Stone b Powell 0, M Mortimer not out 75, B Quick not out 32, Extras 35, Total (4wkts) 217.

Bowling: A Ellis 19.3-2-72-1, C Taylor 5-2-21-0, M Powell 11-1-34-2, R King 11-1-43-0, R Dransfield 7-0-28-1.

York (6pts) beat Appleby-Frodingham (0pts) by 6 wkts.

Umpires: B Whitehead and M Maddocks

BARNSLEY v SHEFFIELD UNITED

Sheffield United: M Barlow not out 125, A Twigg b Kulbushan 45, D Yarnley lbw Fenton 4, B Hunsley b Kulbushan 4, N Longhurst b Fenton 0, C Watson c Brunt b Fenton 6, M King not out 5, Extras 18, Total (5 wkts) 207 dec.

Bowling: R Ledger 13-3-36-0, A Wakefield 10-3-42-0, M Ivill 7-1-17-0, A Ivill 7-1-31-0, Kulbushan 7-1-31-2, G Fenton 8-1-35-3.

Barnsley: C Wood c King b Downing 5, I Jukes c Yarnley b Swanepoel 39, G Fenton lbw Downing 10, I Dixon run out 9, Kulbushan c Twigg b Eastwood 3, P Benson lbw Swanepoel 3, D Brunt lbw Swanepoel 0, A Ivill c&b Eastwood 1, R Ledger not out 4, M Ivill c Watson b Swanepoel 0, A Wakefield b Swanepoel 0, Extras 4, Total 78.

Bowling: P Swanepoel 18.4-9-24-5, M Downing 10-2-39-2, P Eastwood 8-4-13-2.

Sheffield United (8pts) beat Barnsley (0pts) by 129 runs.

Umpires: G Wood and A Pawson

CASTLEFORD v SHEFFIELD COLLEGIATE

Castleford: J Parkin lbw Wylie 1, L Clayton c&b Boocock 52, M Thewlis b Pineo 4, A Bourke b Wylie 5, J Randerson c McKenna b Boocock 19, D O'Neill b Hespe 4, C Jackson run out 26, G O'Neill b Wylie 35, A Daniels b Wylie 1, P Hursthouse not out 0, Extras 18, Total (9 wkts) 165.

Bowling: R Pineo 13-4-32-1, A Wylie 10-1-37-4, C Wall 5-2-12-0, R Kettleborough 3-0-9-0, M Boocock 14-4-38-2, J Hespe 10-1-24-1.

Sheffield Collegiate: A Danson c Parkin b Driscoll 27, G Mann b G O'Neill 0, R Kettleborough b G O'Neill 12, E McKenna b D O'Neill 29, C Wall c Hursthouse b Randerson 42, M Tasker lbw Randerson 8, M Boocock not out 33, R Pineo not out 33, Extras 12, Total (6 wkts) 167.

Bowling: G O'Neill 15-3-42-2, A Bourke 12-1-29-0, D O'Neill 7-0-45-1, M Driscoll 4-0-17-1, J Randerson 7-1-23-2, L Clayton 1-0-0-0, A Daniels .5-0-5-0.

Sheffield Collegiate (6pts) beat Castleford (0pts) by 4wkts.

Umpires: J Millard and A Featherstone

DONCASTER TOWN v CLEETHORPES

Cleethorpes: M Smith run out 15, W Abe c Worthington b Jones 25, M Sinclair c Chadwick b Harris 2, J Stephenson b Worthington 0, S Clifton c Widdup b Jones 13, S Indian b Worthington 18, S Airey b Worthington 6, N White b Jones 1, G Wilson c Dawson b Worthing 17, J Davies b Jones 9, G Thompson not out 0, Extras 24, Total 130.

Bowling: P Worthington 17.2-2-55-4, N Harris 12-2-26-1, D Jones 18-6-20-4, P Ellis 4-1-10-0, S Widdup 3-1-5-0.

Doncaster: P Worthington not out 69, S Widdup not out 59, Extras 3, Total (0wkts) 131.

Bowling: J Davies 5-1-28-0, S Airey 2-0-21-0, M Sinclair 3-0-30-0, N White 4.2-0-35-0, G Thompson 3-0-15-0.

Doncaster (8pts) beat Cleethorpes (0pts) by ten wkts.

Umpires: T M Cottam and I Oakes

HARROGATE v DRIFFIELD

Harrogate: J Proud c Howe b Hodgson 13, J Inglis lbw Southwick 34, P Hepworth c Hodgson b Woodcvock 50, R Bradshaw lbw Southwick 10, P Hampshire c R Drury b Swiers 66, D Pennett c Howe b Winterbottom 23, D Crowther b Swiers 7, J Lancaster not out 2, S Jenson not out 2, Extras 18, Total (7 wkts) 225.

Bowling: S Winterbottom 13-3-62-1, G Hodgson 15-3-66-1, R Swiers 15-6-24-2, A Southwick 7-0-32-2, M Woodcock 5-0-32-1.

Driffield: R Gibbs c Inglis b Jenson 63, R Drury c Bradshaw b Jenson 20, A Southwick b Hepworth 49, M Pennett lbw Louden 0, M Drury not out 38, M Dean lbw Pennett 20, S Winterbottom c Proud b Hepworth 19, D Howe not out 1, Extras 13, Total (6 wkts) 223.

Bowlng: S Jenson 15-2-53-2, D Pennett 11-3-38-1, N Louden 10-0-47-1, D Crowther 5-1-11-0, P Hepworth 14-0-64-2.

Harrogate (6pts) beat Driffield (2pts) by 2 runs.

Umpires: J Holliday and R E Lawson

HULL v SCARBOROUGH

Hull: W Kirby c Tubbs b Fletcher 34, A Simpson lbw Fletcher 2, A Dani lbw Craven 1, J Dows b Fletcher 3, D Barrick c&b Fletcher 2, T Londesborough lbw Fletcher 3, D Coulbard b Fletcher 11, I Haller lbw Fletcher 12, A Cooper c Whitmarsh b Fletcher 2, S Patterson lbw Fletcher 7, N Judah not out 2, Extras 5, Total 84.

Bowling: V Craven 15-5-29-1, N Fletcher 24.3-13-19-9, C Clifford 8-2-20-0, A Gray 3-1-11-0.

Scarborough: A Gallagher not out 43, D Harland lbw Dows 2, R Barlow st Londesborough b Dani 5, V Craven not out 36, Extras 1, Total (2wkts) 87.

Bowling: S Patterson 7-1-12-0, J Dows 6-1-17-1, A Dani 6-2-21-1, D Culbard 6-0-21-0, D Barrick 0.5-0-16-0.

Scarborough (8pts) beat Hull (0pts) by 8wkts.

Umpires: J Abram and J M Mullaney

YORKSHIRE ACADEMY v ROTHERHAM

Rotherham: J Trower b Gilbert 0, S Bailey st Bhatti b Brice 38, O Burford b Elstub 29, S Guy b Elstub 0, L Weekes run out 37, B Scrivens c Dews b Elstub 22, D Plummer run out 9, A Swallow c Brice b Elstub 14, A Bashford b Elstub 0, K Smallman not out 1, Extras 19, Total (9wkts) 169.

Bowling: C Gilbert 11-3-29-1, G Ramsden 10-2-38-0, C Elstub 12-2-28-5, T Baker 6-1-20-0, D Broadbent 7-2-27-0, C Brice 9-3-15-1.

Yorkshire Academy: A Gale lbw Bashford 25, T Baker lbw Weekes 50, R Pyrah c Weekes b Swallow 35, G Newton c Trower b Weekes 0, T Bhatti c Guy b Swallow 0, C Brice not out 22, C Elstub st Burford b Swallow 0, I Dews c Guy b smallman 14, C Gilbert not out 8, Extras 17, Total (7wkts) 171.

Bowling: L Weekes 16-7-35-2, B Scrivens 9-2-41-0, A Bashford 8-3-15-1, A Swallow 11-5-34-3, M Smallman 9-2-37-1.

Yorkshire Academy (8pts) beat Rotherham (0pts) by 3wkts.

Umpires: G J Mellor and S Roberts

YORKSHIRE ACADEMY v DRIFFIELD

(played at Driffield yesterday)

Yorkshire Academy: A Gale lbw Southwick 66, T Bresnan run out 4, R Pyrah c Howe b Southwick 54, G Newton c R Drury b Swiers 46, T Bhatti lbw Woodcock 26, C Brice c Dean b Southwick 12, I Dews b Southwick 28, c Elstub not out 5, D Stiff not out 1, Extras 15, Total (7wkts) 260.

Bowling: S Winterbottom 5-0-13-0, G Hodgson 5-0-187-0, R Swiers 9-0-48-1, N Woodcock 13-0-61-1, R Drury 9-1-38-0, A Southwick 14-1-67-4.

Driffield: R Gibbs c Broadbent b Stiff 5, R Drury c Stiff b Thornicroft 6, M Dean c Dews b Stiff 0, M Tennent lbw Thornicroft 11, M Drury c Stiff b Brice 47, A Southwick b Bresnan 2, S Winterbottom b Pyrah 39, D Howe c&b Pyrah 3, M Woodcock c Stiff b Brice 12, R Swiers not out 1, R Hodgson c Bhatti b Pyrah 0, Extras 12, Total 139.

Bowling: D Stiff 6-0-12-2, N Thornicroft 6-0-19-2, C Elstub 4-1-11-0, T Bresnan 3-0-11-1, D Broadbent 8-0-37-0, C Brice 10-1-36-2, R Pyrah 2.5-1-5-3.

Yorkshire Academy (8pts) beat Driffield (0pts) by 121 runs.

Umpires: J Abram and I Oakes.