SECOND-PLACED York took advantage of Harrogate’s amazing defeat at the top of the Hunters Yorkshire Premier League North to narrow the gap to seven points with victory over Sheriff Hutton Bridge in a high-scoring encounter at Shipton Road.

The visitors' top order produced a solid display, with each of the top five all reaching 30, Rob Pinder the best with 58.

Spinners Dan Woods (4-72) and Ryan McKendry (4-43) fought back for York, and the visitors' total of 253 was less than they would have hoped for having been 214-3.

Duncan Snell (61) got York's reply off to a positive start but it was a partnership of 86 between Tom Friend (49) and Ryan McKendry (49no) which set up the victory after their side had slipped to 124-4.

Leaders Harrogate lost for only the third time this season, going down by 12 runs to third-placed Yorkshire Academy in an extraordinary match at Weetwood.

The title favourites seemed on the way to a fourth straight win when they dismissed their hosts for just 85, Tom Geeson-Brown finishing with 4-33 as seven of the top nine batsmen failed to make double figures.

Academy had looked on the brink of the lowest total in the competition at 60-9 but a stand of 25 between Jack Shutt and James Logan spared their blushes.

Matthew Fisher took two early wickets on his way to 3-25 as the visitors slumped to 7-3.

Skipper George Ross top-scored with 31, and he and David Foster (17) looked to be guiding Gate to a 16th win of term with a partnership of 43, but it proved the only stand to reach double figures.

Foster’s departure lbw to Shutt (3-22) with the score on 50 signalled a dramatic collapse, the last six wickets adding just 23 runs.

Acomb’s leading run-scorer missed out on a century by a couple of runs, making 98 not out, and Brandon Weal scored 60 as their side reached 222-7 at Stamford Bridge, for whom Dominic Rhodes took 3-59.

Chasing a revised target of 190 off 35 overs, the hosts were never in the game thanks to wickets from Andrew Brewster (2-34), Joe Dale (2-24) and a season’s best 3-11 from George Sykes, only skipper Matt Beckett (28) getting beyond 25 in a disappointing reply of 120-9.

Woodhouse Grange secured Premier League cricket at Sandhill Lane next season with victory over Scarborough in a match heavily affected by rain.

Steve Burdett (5-63) and Josh Jackson (3-54) got among the wickets as the visitors were bowled out for 186, despite the efforts of Theo Smith (44) and Darren Mills (48).

The weather intervened to leave the hosts chasing 110 from 20 overs, and an unbeaten half-century from Chistopher Bilton (59no) saw them home comfortably with two and a half overs to spare.

The result leaves Scarborough just outside the relegation places with three matches to play.

Having spent the season in the bottom two, Dunnington’s return to the York & District Senior League was confirmed after they lost by seven wickets to visitors Hull.

Half-centuries from Mubtada Akhtar (52) and Collis King (53) helped build a total of 219-7 as Steve Sergeant (3-26) and Jahangir Alam (3-75) bowled well.

Rain reduced the visitors’ target to 150 off 29 overs, and they got there with 11 balls to spare, thanks largely to an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 61 between Ross Davy (42no) and Matthew Wilkinson (30no).

Driffield Town made it five wins from six as they beat Castleford by 18 runs but the four points collected by the visitors keeps their hopes of retaining Premier League status alive.

Casey Rudd (63) and Ali Asad (50) put on 98 as the hosts reached 219-7, Eddie Morrison picking up 3-63.

Luke Edwards top-scored with 42 as the visitors closed on 201-9, with Nick Hardgrave taking 4-57 before Morrison and Aaron Grant saw out the final five overs to secure what could still prove to be valuable points.