Captain Ross leads 'Gate to crucial victory over Alliance

The Roosters overcame fellow ECB Yorkshire Premier League North strugglers Clifton Alliance by a 27-run margin on Bank Holiday Monday, leapfrogging their opponents in the table and moving up to eighth place.

And it was captain Ross who shone with both bat and ball, hitting a half-century before a devastating spell of spin bowling ensured that the hosts were unable to reach their victory target.

His knock of 52 alongside Harry Stothard's 32 laid the foundation on which Tom Geeson-Brown (27) and William Bates (23 not out) built on later in the innings to take 'Gate to 212/8 in 50 overs.

Alliance made it to 86/1 in reply before Ross entered the attack and changed the game, snapping up 6-48 and making sure that the home team progressed no further than 185/9.

Just 48 hours earlier, the men from St George's Road had suffered an agonising defeat at the hands of Driffield Town.

Ash Griffin grabbed five wickets as the Woldsmen put 212/9 on the board, but 'Gate looked as if they would cruise past that score when they took their turn at the crease.

Josh Atkinson (86) and Alexis Twigg (76) guided them to 179/3, however a flurry of wickets saw the run-rate slow and they ended up just three short of victory on 210/7 at the close.

Sessay also bounced back from a negative result on Saturday to register an important triumph, beating Driffield by five wickets.

Mark Wilkie's charges lost out to Stamford Bridge before bowling Town out for just 150, Stephen Langstaff scooping a five-wicket haul.

Opener Mark Jackson's excellent unbeaten 59 and an innings of 41 not out from Chris Till then got the Thirsk outfit over the line at 152/5 in the 48th over, lifting them out of the drop zone in the process.