DEFENDING champions York lead the Hunters ECB Yorkshire Premier League North by 13 points following a 55-run victory over Yorkshire Academy at Clifton Park.

Former Academy batsman Jack Leaning was the top scorer for York with 68 against his former side.

Charlie Elliot contributed 46 and Tom Brooks scored 40 off 33 balls at the back end of the innings as the home side reached 222-8.

The visitors looked on course to chase down that total during a stand of 82 for the fifth wicket between James Wharton (66) and skipper Benjamin Birkhead (46), but wickets from Jonathan Moxon (3-34) and Guy Darwin (3-16) put paid to their chances and they eventually stumbled to 167.

An unbeaten century from Dulash Udayanga (106) was not enough to prevent Sheriff Hutton Bridge suffering a third defeat in four weeks, with Woodhouse Grange coming back to win at Sandhill Lane and move above the visitors into second place.

The home side looked to be in trouble at 42-3 chasing 218 but a 90-run partnership between Simon Tennant (49) and Mike Burdett (86) got them back on track to eventually secure victory by four wickets.

The Sri Lankan apart, the visitors' batsmen had struggled earlier.

Opener Louis Foxton made 30, but six of his team-mates failed to get off the mark, with Steve Burdett finishing with 5-25 from 12 overs.

Stamford Bridge put an end to Harrogate’s recent run of good form with a 66-run victory at St George’s Road.

The visitors' top order flourished, with Ryans Gibson (62) and McKendry (57) both making half-centuries and Will Rhodes 46.

Max Maciver made 70 off 48 balls as, despite wickets from George Ross (5-65) and Ashley Griffin (3-74), Bridge reached 288-8.

Josh Atkinson (37) was one of a number of batsmen who got a start for the hosts but none were able to play the decisive innings needed in a chase of that size.

However, the last-wicket pair of Harry Stothard (32no) and Jonathan MacGregor held out, ensuring their side picked up a couple of points.

Liam Hope-Shackley produced an excellent all-round performance for Clifton Alliance as they beat visitors Scarborough by 90 runs.

The Australian top-scored with 90 as the home side reached 295-6, which also included 70 from Scott Hopkinson and a half-century from David Friend (51).

Not content with that, he then took 5-78 to help dismiss the visitors for 205.

James Pick made 68 and Sam Drury, who had earlier taken 3-10, scored 42 but wickets from skipper Hopkinson (3-35) helped secure the points for the hosts.

The battle of the bottom two at The Green went the way of visitors Sessay as they beat Acomb by 14 runs.

Mark Johnson (73) and Jacob Spencer (65no) got the visitors to 228-7 before a century opening stand between Jonny Rawsthorne (93) and Stuart Boyle (34) looked to have set the platform for the hosts’ first win of the season.

Darcy O’Connor also made 31, but wickets from Joseph Watson (3-6) and three run outs hindered their chances and they were eventually forced to settle for four points.

Sessay’s victory helped them climb out of the bottom two, while Acomb’s defeat leaves them 23 points from safety at the halfway stage in the season.

Defeat by two runs to Castleford was enough to send Driffield Town into the relegation places at the end of a nervy afternoon at Savile Park.

The hosts were again dependant on skipper David Wainwright, who top-scored with 34 in a modest total of 179-9 but then, perhaps more importantly, took three wickets at a cost of just 23 from 13 overs.

Nick Hardgrave bagged 4-23 from his 13 overs as the home side struggled, despite eight of the line-up reaching double figures.

Alec Drury (72) and Mark Tennant (62) got the visitors off to a terrific start with an opening stand of 113 but Wainwright and John Randerson (3-41) put the brakes on proceedings and Town, with just one win since the opening day, came up just short.