SPECTACULAR hitting from Tom Young and a century from skipper Nick Hadfield powered defending champions Woodhouse Grange into the last 16 of the Davidstow Village Cup.

Young struck 62 not out from just 24 balls, with seven sixes, as the Sutton-on-Derwent-based outfit posted an imposing 295-3 from their 40 overs against Teesside outfit Wolviston in the first of the competition's national rounds.

While Young's batting towards the end of the innings ensured a big score, it was the heroics of Andrew Bilton and Hadfield that put Grange in superb position.

Bilton crashed 75 runs, while Hadfield struck a fine 105 not out.

Faced with such a mammoth target, it was always unlikely Wolviston would be able to pull a shock victory out of the bag.

But Azhar Isane's 75 helped them to make the scoreline respectable. Jimmy Jones also made 25, and Grange bowler Chris Suddaby took 3-26, as Wolviston were bowled out for 185 two balls short of the end of the innings.

David Farmer, Woodhouse Grange club secretary, said his side's batting had essentially ended the game at the half-way stage. "But Wolviston's heads didn't drop," he said. "They got 180, which was a good effort.

"Faced with that total, you can fold but they stuck at it."

Farmer continued: "We had a great opening partnership of 120 plus but the real fireworks came from Tom Young. His innings took the game away from them and we knew they weren't going to get anywhere near.

"It was a very good batting track. There were a lot of runs on it, as there had also been on Saturday in the league."

The club, who beat Great & Little Tew comprehensively at Lord's in the showpiece final last year, now travel to either Cumbrian side Lindal Moor or Lancashire-based Egerton as they strive for a repeat.

Asked about their prospects, Farmer said: "Lindal Moor is almost in Barrow so that would be a full day's travelling, whereas Egerton is just to the north of Bolton. You never know what you are facing. We are playing teams that we don't know much about or what their standards are. You never know what you are coming up against.

"But we are still in the competition and that is the main thing."

It is a game that will be played on Sunday, July 12, and they will continue to be without all-rounder, and the club's captain in the York & District Senior League, Steve Burdett, who could be facing an operation after damaging cartilage in his left knee.

Farmer said: "Steve was at the game on Sunday hobbling around in the outfield. His doctor has booked him in for an operation in four weeks but has told him he might find that it heals itself. In that case, he won't have to have the operation.

"The worst case scenario is that he is out for the rest of the season but, knowing Steve, he is already saying it might get better or that he could stand at slip."