A CENTURY from Jack Leaning ensured York increased their advantage at the top of the Hunters ECB Yorkshire Premier League North.

They chased down 226 to beat Scarborough at North Marine Road, an unbroken stand of 176 with Chris Booth (90 not out) seeing them ease to a nine-wicket win.

The hosts' top order had produced a strong showing earlier in the match with captain Sam Drury making 47, before Oliver Stephenson (74) and Ben Elvidge (73) shared a third-wicket partnership of 143, the latter becoming one of three wickets for visiting skipper Daniel Woods (3-47).

Woodhouse Grange lost ground on the leaders as they suffered a 20-run defeat to Yorkshire Academy, despite an unbeaten century from Chris Bilton.

Harry Brook (54) and Benjamin Birkhead (66) got the home side off to a strong start, adding 101 for the first wicket and, although Christopher Suddaby (4-71) hit back, Tom Loten's 52 not out helped them reach 239-6.

Three early wickets from Edward Barnes (3-31) reduced the visitors to 20-3, but it was Bilal Anjum (5-70) who gave the home side control of the contest.

Tom Young contributed 30 but it was down to Bilton and Steve Burdett (27) that the visitors secured four points as they hung on to finish at 219-9.

The competition's form side Stamford Bridge have drawn level with Woodhouse Grange in second place, with their sixth consecutive victory coming at Sessay.

Dave Chaplin was the unlikely hero, the leg-spinner taking 6-56 in his first outing at the top level for almost five years as the home side were restricted to 185-8.

Mark Wilkie, having chosen to bat first, held the innings together, making 77.

The hosts' skipper then picked up the first three wickets to fall, Bridge finding themselves in early trouble at 33-3, but an unbeaten 74 from Ryan McKendry and contributions from Chris Grey (33) and Dominic Rhodes (37) won the game, despite wickets from Navin Kavikara (3-37).

The defeat drops Sessay back into the bottom two, and today's game against fellow relegation candidates Driffield Town could prove key to their survival hopes.

The main drama of the day came at Kings Mill Road, where Driffeld Town climbed out of the relegation places, having fought back to beat Harrogate by two runs.

Kavindu Kulasekara's 61 was the stand-out performance of the home side's innings until a 56-run ninth-wicket stand between Mark Goddard (30no) and Thomas Hudson (24).

That came after Ashley Griffin had taken 5-50, with the home side eventually reaching 212-9.

The visitors looked to be coasting thanks to Alexis Twigg (76) and Josh Atkinson (86), but after both were dismissed by Jamie Hopper (3-31), the innings stalled, leaving the visitors to reflect on whether this was four points gained or four lost.

Clifton Alliance may not be mathematically safe just yet but victory at home to Castleford moved them a step closer to survival.

An unbroken second-wicket partnership of 140 between Scott Hopkinson (46no) and Liam Hope-Shackley (87no) helped them cruise to a nine-wicket win.

The visitors had earlier slumped to 12-3, Samuel Grant taking a couple of early wickets on his way to remarkable figures of 3-6 from nine overs.

Resistance came in the form of David Wainwright (37) and Eitan Litvin (63) but there was little else to cheer from the batting line-up as they were all out for 146, with home captain Hopkinson finishing with 4-27.

Karl Carver produced the best bowling figures in the competition this season, taking 7-25 as Sheriff Hutton Bridge ran out convincing winners at Moor Farm against Acomb.

The 141-run margin of victory owed as much to Dulash Unayanga's third century of the campaign as Carver's effort. The Sri Lankan's 115 was the backbone of a total of 295, with Louis Foxton (34) and Robert Pinder (35) playing supporting roles.

Gavin Paton was easily the pick of the visitors' attack, finishing with 6-68, four of which were caught at the wicket by Joe Schofield.

A half-century at the top of the order from Stuart Boyle (57) stood out for the visitors, who were dismissed for 154, with no other batsman reaching 20 until Paton came in at number nine.