WEEK 9
Saturday and Sunday, June 22 and 23
HPH Cup
Round Two
UNBEATEN Vale Cricket League leaders Stockton & Hopgrove scraped into the semi-finals of the HPH Cup after a last-ball thriller against Ovington on Saturday.
With the scores tied, final pair Chris Fryer and Matt Bradshaw scrambled a single to make it through to the last four.
That had been an unlikely prospect after being 95-6 in pursuit of Ovington’s 205-6 in which Craig Nicholl top scored with 69, supported by Chris Tune (39) and Tom Ashby (30). Early tight Stockton bowling, particularly by Bradshaw (2-24 from ten overs) saw Ovington reach 104-4 after 28 overs before a heavy shower drove the sides off.
They stepped on the gas after the interval to post a healthy score and despite opener Matt Durkin’s 53, Stockton looked out of it until a seventh-wicket 80-run partnership by Stu Ross (44) and Kalum Perera (44) got S&H back in the game. Last pair Fryer (17no) and Bradshaw came together needing eight to win and the teams were level when the last ball was delivered. The Stockton duo went for a risky single but the throw was wayward and they managed to scramble home.
Stockton will now face champions NorthCave, who crushed Thorpe Willoughby by nine wickets, in a mouth-watering semi-final.
Cave blew away their lower ranked opponents for just 79, Ollie Brett taking 3-21 while John Buttle, Karl Youngman and Chris Colbeck each struck twice. The East Yorkshire lost only Charlie Cockin on their way to an easy win, club secretary Craig Hewson finishing on 45 not out.
The other semi-final will bet between Askham Bryan and Bishopthorpe.
Craig Ferguson hit an unbeaten 59, Adrian Stipetic scored 38 and Steve Mason 36 as Askham hung on to beat Clifton Alliance at Heslington by four runs. Askham totalled 170-5, 81 coming in the last ten overs. However, the total came under pressure as Alliance put in a great batting effort led by Rob Thorpe, who was run out one short of his half-century and 45 from Mark Taylor.
Bishopthorpe won at Burn where Ian Holmes (60no) and 16-year-old Andrew Seager (52no) hoisted them from 114-6 to 215-6 at tea after Mike Dale had earlier scored 44. It was Seager’s first half century for the Bishopthorpe firt team and his innings, which spanned just 42 balls, included four sixes. Jamie Bingle was Burn’s best bowler with 4-36. Holmes then recorded figures of 9.1-3-14-4 but was overshadowed by Jonathan Hrycaiczuk, who took 5-59, his first five-wicket haul in senior cricket as Burn were bowled out for 175, 29 of those being extras with Ray Adamson the leading batter with 27.
Scothern Construction Cup
Second round
PAUL Johnson smashed an unbeaten 95 from 69 balls as North Duffield powered past Pocklington into the last four of the Scothern Construction Cup.
Pock made 148-3 – their highest score of the season - thanks to Charlie Wilson’s 57 not out and decent contributions by James Baker (28), Callum Quarton (28) and Charlie Dodds (21no). But Johnson and fellow opener Steve Miller (45) effectively settled the match with a stand of 137. Johnson hit 15 fours and a six in an exhibition of powerful strokeplay while Miller’s innings spanned 62 balls before edging to gully.
YorkRI’s bowlers rescued their tie against ten-man GooleTownafter their batsmen mustered a below-par 104. Divoyd Smith (47) was the only RI batsman to tame a lively youthful Goole attack which featured 15-year-old Harry Dunham (4-6), Sam Copping (3-22) and Ray Coates (3-32).
Smith’s half-century partnership with Graeme Burn (23) pulled RI out of the mire to a three-figure total which looked inadequate. However, Steve Littlewood (4-18) and Pradeep Bathian (3-33) led a great bowling performance by seeing Goole all out for 81.
Melbourne shot out South Cave & Brantingham for just 68 on their way to a five-wicket win, Harry Collins starring with 4-22, supported by Jamie Kirby’s 2-20. It would have been much worse for Cave but for an unbeaten 42 by Tim Greene.
Cave’s cause was not helped when a couple of their players had to go to hospital with bowler Will Harriss having to spend several hours in the accident and emergency department. Until his injury he had impressive figures of 4.1-0-9-2, but Melbourne, who loaned their understrength opponents a player, got home in relative comfort with Ben Thompson still at the crease on 33.
Greg Sykes hit 54 from 59 deliveries and Rod Moorcroft needed just 30 deliveries to make an unbeaten 36 as Heworth made 142-6 against visitors Malton & Old Malton whose Ollie Varey and George Ullyott both bowled excellent tight opening spells. Malt hit back after a rain break from 16-2 to win by eight wickets with nine balls to spare after James Spencer (72no) and Max Fraser (51no) got on top of the bowling.
However, it transpired both Max and Morgan Fraser were ineligible to play because of the amount of Senior League cricket they had played this season and Malton & Old Malton were removed from the competition.
It was a decision the Gannock club accepted and Heworth will go through to the semi-finals to face Melbourne. The other semi will be between North Duffield and YorkRI.
Prendergast Memorial Cup
First Round
STILLINGFLEET stalwart Chris Woodfine claimed 6-30 ashis side edged out Ovington II by four runs in the Prendergast Memorial Trophy.
The Fleet were put in and after a rapid 18 from opener Wayne Livesey, slumped to 31-4 and 75-6 as Ovington’s decision to field looked a good one. Ian Thompson (49) then rode his luck to lift Stillingfleet towards a total of 134 with help from Rob Bielby (27no). Joe Whale (2-17) and Dominic Kitchen (2-37) were the pick of the Ovington attack.
Stillingfleet did not have many runs to play with but Woodfine utilised his ration of ten overs with great skill while Mike Neilsen conceded just 26 from his ten to maintain the pressure.
Ovington were 58-7 after 20 overs before Ben Busby (27) and Kitchen (24no) gave them a chance of victory with a 57-run eighth wicket partnership. However, they fell just short as Phil Corfield held on to a return catch to end the Ovington innings with seven balls remaining. Under-15 player Tom Armes scored 21 on his debut for Ovington.
Thixendale proved too strong for Burn II, Geoff Room (64no), Nigel French (54) and Adrian Brader (46) leading them to a match-winning 219-4. Burn, who were a man light, responded with 163-8, Scott Adamson scoring 42 and Mark Webster 38. Will Megginson had the best figures for Dale with 3-25.
Copmanthorpe’s Phil Jackson (4-12) was denied a hat-trick by a difficult dropped chance in the four-wicket win against Yapham. Jackson and Roy Atkinson (3-23) made life difficult for most of Yapham’s batsmen who slumped to 36-6. Scott Hardwick hit 30, Carl Marsden 21 and juniors Jack Foster (18) and Steven Hutchinson (17) got Yapham up to 102 all out. Opener Neil Dea, in his final game for Cop before going back to India, scored 16 while David Martin (36) saw them home. Spinner Matthew Stubbings took 3-36 for Yapham.
Guy Mitchell Cup
First round
KELFIELD’S bowlers sent down no less than 12 maidens as Ben Johnson’s batsmen mustered just 59-8 in a Guy Mitchell Cup match reduced to 32 overs.
Pace man Sam Dunn bowled four maidens in his stint, while Matthew Walker was on the money with 3-12 from eight overs.Walker (45) then sped Kelfield into the semi-final in just 11.3 overs for the loss of just one wicket.
Chasing Selby’s total of 131-8, Fulfordgate looked out of it at 40-5 and 98-8, but Alan Baldock held them together with 57 which included ten fours and a six before Max Henderson got them home with 38 not out. Matthew Leetham was Selby’s outstanding bowler with 4-19 from eight overs.
Earlier, the backbone of Selby’s innings was provided by Khalil Afzal (36no), Isaac Leung (24) and Dave Brunyard (20). Henderson again shone with the ball for Fulfordgate, taking 4-22.
Like many cup games on Saturday, the Westow v Hemingbrough match was disrupted by rain. It was reduced to 24 overs and Westow took first knock, Mark Earle scoring 55 in their 126-7. Skipper Earle (3-31) then struck with the ball to reduce the visitors to 25-3, but Gary Wilson (45no) and Damian Sharp (39) swept Hemingbrough into the semi-finals in 19.5 overs.
President’s Cup
Semi-finals
THE final of the President’s Cup will be between Hemingbrough II and Askham Bryan II.
Ben Lister made 55 and Simon Shaw an unbeaten 35 in Hemingbrough’s semi-final win against Stockton & Hopgrove II who were bowled out for 114, Rob Peet taking 3-22. Hemingbrough knocked the runs off for the loss of just two wickets, John Cockerill finishing proceedings in style with a six.
Ashwin Shetty made an immediate impact in his first game of the season for Askham in the win against Dunnington. Work commitments had meant he had not been able to play until Saturday but soon made up for lost time taking 4-10 in seven overs as Dunnington were bowled out for 103. Only two Dunnington players made double figures – Esham Malhotra (47) and H Mussell (31).
Shetty then stroked 44 as Askham won by seven wickets.
Division Five
THORP Arch & Boston Spa continued their dominance of the division with a crushing ten-wicket win against Malton & Old Malton II.
The Gannock side were shot out for 55, immaculate line and length from Charlie Foulkes, who had 6.1-3-8-5, and Patrick Mercer, who returned 7-4-8-4, saw TABS run through the Malt ranks. John Orrell (21no) and Gerry Casey (20no) knocked the runs off at a canter.
Sunday’s rain ruined the Woodhouse Grange v Hirst Courtney II encounter with the game finely poised.
Ewan Miller (59) scored his maiden senior half century as Grange posted a workmanlike 121-7, Ben Burdett chipping in with 21 and Stuart Wright 20 not out. Grange then nipped a couple out and the Hirst reply stood on 60-2 with Aiden White unbeaten on 25 when rain drove the players off.
CUP DRAWS
HPH Cup
Semi-finals (Sunday, July 7): Bishopthorpe v Askham Bryan, Stockton & Hopgrove v NorthCave
Scothern Construction Cup
Semi-finals (Sunday, July 14): North Duffield v YorkRI, Heworth v Melbourne
Guy Mitchell Cup
Semi-finals (Sunday, July 28): Fulfordgate v Hemingbrough II, Kelfield v Hirst Courtney
Prendergast Memorial Trophy
Semi-finals (Sunday, August 4): Acomb v Thixendale, Stillingfleeet v Copmanthorpe
President’s Cup
Final (at Selby, Sunday, August 18): Askham Bryan II v Hemingbrough II
Press Performance of the Week
Chris Woodfine’s 6-30 proved vital as Stillingfleet edged out Ovington II in a close Prendergast Memorial Trophy tie