YORKSHIRE Academy picked up where they left off in the Hunters ECB Yorkshire Premier League North after their enforced Covid break with an emphatic 117-run victory at Stamford Bridge.

Harry Finch (59) marked his first appearance in the competition with a half-century after a stand of 84 for the second wicket between Matthew Weston (34) and Harry Allinson (46).

Bridge wicket-keeper Jack Timby had a hand in four wickets, two in combination with Liam Burgess whose 4-45 included both Weston and Finch.

In reply to the visitors’ 220-9, opener Timby (31) was top scorer in a disappointing 103 all out. All six bowlers used by Yorkshire Academy contributed at least one wicket, but Harry Sullivan (3-17) was the pick.

David Wainwright (6-10) kept Castleford (185-9) in pole position with an outstanding performance at home to title-rivals Woodhouse Grange (121).

Josh Jackson (5-58) and James Finch (3-36) looked to have the league leaders in trouble on 61-5 before Connor Hyde (37) and Edward Cole (50) rescued the innings with a partnership of 90.

Finch (45) top scored in Grange’s reply in which the last eight wickets fell in the space of 36 runs.

Scarborough went third with a tense victory over Dunnington (196), the win at North Marine Road going down to the final two overs.

The visitors’ Alec Drury (75) formed useful partnerships with Jack Bolam (30) and Adam Sutcliffe (37), with James Wainman (5-46) leading the way for the hosts.

Scarborough’s successful chase was largely thanks to South African youngster Breidyn Schaper’s unbeaten 66. George Drury took 3-28 for Dunnington.

Outside of the top two, Clifton Alliance are the competition’s form side and a third straight win, this time by 62 runs at home to Acomb, has helped lift them clear of the relegation places.

Andrew Whaits (61) was the only Alliance batter to reach a half-century but Andrew Simpson (41), John Gilham (30) and Samuel Grant (39) all contributed before James Tindall (4-52) had a hand in the hosts slipping from 189-4 to 207-9, eventually reaching 230-9.

The visitors lost crucial wickets early in the chase and a seventh-wicket partnership of 68 between Joe (61) and Nicholas Schofield (40) almost doubled the beleaguered side’s total. Thomas Brown returned season-best figures of 4-42.

Harrogate might yet escape the drop after beating Sheriff Hutton Bridge at Moor Farm by 33 runs.

Ben Kempley’s 93 was largely responsible for Harrogate’s 169 all out, Dulash Udayanga (5-37) eventually capturing the batter’s wicket.

Opening bat Mark Fisher followed up his 4-40 with 30 runs. Elder brother Adam (30) matched his efforts but the reply stumbled along and closed on 136, the league’s leading wicket-taker Ishan Abeysekara taking 4-20.

Despite a century from young opener Noah Kelly (106), Driffield Town (262) lost by 14 runs to York. That defeat, coupled with a disciplinary points deduction, leaves them bottom of the table.

York (276) were indebted to a sixth-wicket stand of 115 between Charlie Elliot (81) and Ted Patmore (51) after losing skipper Simon Lambert for 50. Jamie Greavson took four wickets but for the cost of 92 runs.

Kelly’s 42-over innings included a stand of 95 with skipper Danny Broumpton (38). Oliver Leedham (3-55) was the pick of a six-man attack.