GILLAMOOR put themselves back into serious contention for the Feversham Cricket League championship when they recorded a narrow three wicket victory away at Slingsby.

Slingsby took first knock, and amassed 66 for 7, top scorers being D Watson (19) and C Wrightson (10). Gillamoor’s bowling trio of C Campbell (3 for 11), Alec Medd (2 for 6) and Adam Durrant (2 for 6) were in good form and gave little away.

Gillamoor were made to fight for their runs in reply, particularly by Ben Corner with his usual pinpoint accuracy which brought him figures of 2 for 9 from his five overs.

John Hatfield did well to pick up three wickets, but was a little expensive, generally exploited by John Lumley (17), T Munday (16), Medd (15 not out) and Matt Durrant (14), which enabled Gillamoor to finally collect the three points.

Slingsby’s home game with High Farndale was unable to commence owing to heavy rain, and had to be abandoned.

Sadly, the shortage of players scenario in the Feversham League, previously highlighted, was this time experienced by Spout House who could only muster four for their away fixture at High Farndale, and were consequently forced to concede the points.

A Duncombe Park Cricket Club supporter on learning that the team had suffered a ten wicket defeat at the hands of Ampleforth in the Countess of Feversham Cup semi-final would naturally pin the blame for this disaster on the Park batsmen, assuming they had been dismissed for a paltry total. On the contrary, it was Park’s bowlers who were guilty of under performing on this occasion, allowing Ampleforth’s opening pair of Mark Wilkie and Lyle Hillier to provide a batting masterclass with nonchalant ease.

It all began so well for Park on a beautiful evening in the Ampleforth College grounds.

Jonathon Leckenby, seeking to dominate from the start, was more effervescent than his sixty-five year old partner, the evergreen Stuart Craven.

Leckenby clubbed his way to 48 in a partnership of 80.

Thereafter Craven, making one of his spasmodic, and hitherto generally unsuccessful, appearances for Park, then took complete control, recapturing past glories in fine style, hitting three 6’s and six 4’s in an undefeated 64; Park closing on 133 for 5 in eighteen overs.

James Skelton took 2 for 24.

Park’s hopes of reaching the final quickly evaporated. Despite trying six bowlers, Park had virtually no idea of how to dismiss Wilkie and Hillier.

Able to pierce the field almost at will, Wilkie hit four 6’s and eight 4’s in racing to 88 not out. Hillier, not quite so aggressive, but with plenty of talent, smote eight 4’s to confirm Ampleforth’s triumph after only 13.2 overs, leaving a demoralised Park side to ruminate on where it had all gone wrong.

Spout House made a lowkey exit from the Henry Flintoft Cup at Castleton.

They lost their semi-final to Kildale by eight wickets, who knocked off the required runs in just 12.3 of the allotted 20 overs.

Put into bat, Spout House lost three wickets for just two runs in three overs. Only Tom Garbutt prevented a total disaster.

He batted steadily as wickets continued to tumble at the other end. After a senseless run out, Garbutt eventually fell, caught at long on, for an admirable 28, more than half of Spout House’s final total of 53 all out. Jamie Peirson (5 for 31) and Dan Doughty (3 for 19) did the damage for Kildale, supported by substitute stumper John Myers who took two catches and made a smart stumping.

In reply Kildale quickly racked up 26 after four overs.

Garbutt then picked up two wickets (for 21), but a Kildale victory was never in doubt.

Arnie Doughty (19), Dan Doughty (15 not out), Seamus Corcoran (11) achieved that with the minimum of fuss.