PROMOTED Heworth overcame newly-merged Middleton & North Dalton in the opening round of Foss Evening Cricket League division one games.

Heworth opener Phil Holland (62 not out) blazed the early bowling to all parts, taking the score to 63 after nine overs, but tighter bowling restricted Heworth to 96-7.

Middleton & North Dalton looked to be cruising to victory at 51-2, but Heworth hit back to win by nine runs.

Dunnington dominated their in-house tussle with their Academy side, winning by nine wickets, the senior side’s captain Jack Spofforth (32no) and Matt Beckett (55no) in charge with the bat.

It was a similar story at Osbaldwick, who restricted Woodhouse Grange to 95-8 with Ben Richardson turning the screw with 3-21. Andrew Bilton hit a quick-fire 30 until Jimmy Jacques had him stumped. The Hattee brothers Mike (47no) and James (31no) finished the job for Osso in 12.2 overs.

Relegated York got off to the best possible start in division two by crushing Bishopthorpe by 10 wickets.

Bishops were bowled out for 73 with Alex Wood taking 4-15. Scott Clapham (29) and Rob Ireland (27) were the only batsmen to make double figures. York had no such difficulty as openers S Booth (35no) and Alex Lilley (38no) sped to victory.

Heworth Colts started brightly against Tang Hall Tigers with 17-year-old Ryan Whitley, playing his first match in two years, bowling opener Stephen Clarke for a duck off the third ball.

Tang Hall duo Harvey Baines (39) and Tom Hewer (38) lifted the total to 103 from 18 overs. Heworth were always behind the run rate and the Tigers won by 12 runs.

Woodhouse Grange Academy’s Tom Burdett (47) knocked boundaries at will against Retreat as the Academy totalled 130-6. Retreat raced to 60-1 before Salman Syed (60no) finished in style by smashing a match-winning six in the final over.

Stillingfleet marked their first venture into evening league cricket with a six-wicket win at Westow in division three.

Matthew Shipley (45) scored more than half his side’s runs as Westow were bowled out for 85. Phil Johnson took 3-19 before spinner Chris Woodfine cleaned up the tail with 5-19, completing his five-for with the final ball of the innings. Stillingfleet eased to victory with Jonny Wright’s knock of 25 including a couple of sixes.

Thixendale and Stamford Bridge produced a thrilling finish with the village side edging a two-wicket win.

Taylor Stanton top-scored with 27 as Bridge finished on 101-7, Simon Walgate taking 3-12. Thixendale lost early wickets to Ollie Pimlott (3-20) and Liam Easton (2-18) before Ben Jackson hit an unbeaten 57 off 44 balls with three sixes finishing not out.

With a wicket falling on the last ball of the 17th over, Jackson cracked two boundaries to win the game with two balls to spare.

Lewis Wrathall smashed an unbeaten 103 in Heslington Centurions’ 23-run win against Hemingbrough. Lee Wild led the chase towards 153-4 but Brough fell short, losing three wickets in run-outs in the process.

Melbourne’s Ben Shingles and Tim Blackmore put on 52 in 10 overs against Aviva Vikings. Shingles (56no) and Oliver Steels (52no) then added 89 in six overs to reach the break at 148-2. Although Gul Fida Hussain Thathal, who was making his Vikings’ debut, scored an unbeaten 97, Melbourne won by 16 runs.

Stockton & Hopgrove limped to 82-9 from 16 overs against Ovington, 14-year-old Jacob Lamb taking 3-14. Matt Bradshaw’s first spell of bowling in more than a year earned him 2-12 from four overs. Stefan Littlewood (43no) and Tom Armes (21) set up Ovington’s win.