PERSISTENT rain could not dampen the spirits of skipper Daniel Woods and his players, as York retained their Hunters ECB Yorkshire Premier League North crown.

No play was possible in the Clifton Park title showdown with second-placed Woodhouse Grange after showers, and then heavier rain from late morning onwards, caused the abandonment of the highly-anticipated clash just after 3pm.

It meant Grange had to settle for runners-up spot.

Duncan Snell has been the star man for York this season, driving them to the title. He is the league's top scorer with 1,450 runs, including six centuries. His average in 2018 is an astonishing 76.32.

York will now travel to Town Fields, Doncaster next Saturday to take on Yorkshire South Premier League champions Wakefield Thornes in the Yorkshire League Play-Offs.

Meanwhile, Woodhouse Grange will attempt to add the Rudgate Cup to the YLN Twenty20 Trophy won earlier in the season when they take on Barnsley Woolley Miners at Treeton today.

The top two were not the only ones affected by the wet weather; indeed the only place to see any cricket was at King Mill Road, where Driffield Town reached 53-2 at home to Scarborough before the match was called off.

The hosts needed to win to have any hope of avoiding relegation. As it is, they will now be joining Acomb in the York & District Senior League next season, their fate having been sealed a couple of weeks earlier.

Elsewhere, Stamford Bridge were denied the chance to leapfrog Woodhouse Grange into the runners-up spot after their home game against Castleford was abandoned.

Clifton Alliance were in danger of being overtaken by Driffield Town, so they were grateful for the bad weather cancelling their tough match at Yorkshire Academy.

Sheriff Hutton Bridge finished fourth after their game at Sessay was called off, while Harrogate were denied the chance to defeat rock-bottom Acomb at home.