PICKERING closed the gap to leaders Kirkbymoorside in the Ryedale Beckett League thanks to a 45-run win over Hovingham.

The Moorsiders were not in action and Pickering cut the gap to the top to two points thanks to a daunting first innings total of 157-6.

Openers Mark Shepherd (51) and Tom Sigsworth (42) took the attack to Hovingham, and Ryan Boyes finished the innings with a classy 44 before destroying the Hovingham reply with 4-25, backed up by Sigsworth’s 3-16.

Only Ebberston ace Tom Bumby (46) showed any real form in the response of 112.

Settrington, in third, pulled off a two-run win over an underperforming Harome side who chose to blood some young bowlers.

One of them, Jack Cranage, took 2-26 but 30 extras added to scores of 31 by Stephen Beal 31 and 26 by Jonty Rounthwaite as Setty reached 126-7.

In reply, nobody could answer the Setty attack led by Tristan Midgely until Dave Greenlay, batting down the order at eight, stroked 48.

This result probably ends Harome’s hopes of silverware.

Malton & Old Malton put eight-man Duncombe Park to the sword as a number of batters contributed to a tally of 154-5.

Most significant were the aggressive knocks of 58 by Stephen Linsley and 38 by James Baxter, the pair being particularly brutal on Dunn and Schofield, whose six overs went for a combined total of 80. Only the wily slow bowling of Peter Kent kept a grip on the run-rate.

In reply, Park stuttered to 62 all out.

Division two leaders Burythorpe were not in action, allowing Great Habton to narrow the gap with a crushing 134-run win over Westow.

Ryan Boyd (4-55) struck early for Westow but then runs flowed from the bats of Fisher (56), Alex Ibbotson (68) and Danny Harper (58no) pushing Habton to a high total of 216-3.

Westow batsmen struggled against Liam Allenby (4-27) and George Lumley (3-12) until a flurry of runs from Ali Fothergill (17), including two huge sixes, and J Boyd (20) saw Westow finish on 82-8.

Nawton Grange lost both openers for ducks against Ampleforth but a partnership between D Ward (69) and D Coote (53) rescued the innings and set a challenging total of 139-4.

York & District Senior League ace Mark Wilkie hit 73 in reply his team-mates could only total 23 between them as they ended on 96-6.

Ryedale beat Whitwell in a low-scoring affair.

James Browne led the Whitwell innings of 92-8 with a season high score of 46 but James Mudd finished off the good work from Stephen Temple (39) to secure a six-wicket win for Ryedale.