Yorkshire CCC ace Ben Coad returns to boost Harrogate CC's survival hopes

The Yorkshire CCC paceman turned out for the Roosters for the first time this season and shone with both bat and ball as Ross Sedgley's side put some daylight between themselves and the relegation zone.

Coad snapped up 4-47 alongside Tom Geeson-Brown (3-56), the duo reducing their hosts to 77-7 inside 17 overs.

An eighth-wicket stand of 43 eventually saw Beverley to a total of 142 all out, a score that never looked like it was going to be enough once Coad strode out to open the batting and began dispatching the ball to all parts of the ground.

With four wickets from 10 overs under his belt, the 25-year-old could have been forgiven for putting his feet up when the visitors began their reply, but instead he smashed ten fours and two sixes on his way to an unbeaten 78 from just 69 deliveries.

He shared a century stand alongside Alex Twigg (42) off only 103 balls, paving the way for an eight-wicket triumph and the club's first back-to-back successes of a stop-start season.

Maximum points from their last two fixtures leave 'Gate 19 clear of the drop zone, but their resurgence has plunged local rivals Sessay deeper into trouble.

The Thirsk outfit lost to Harrogate last weekend before seeing Saturday's game at Scarborough abandoned due to rain.

Yet, the weather probably saved Mark Wilkie's men from a 11th league defeat of 2019 given that they were struggling on 76/6 in the 30th over when the players were forced off.

Sessay remain second-from-bottom of the pile, 16 points shy of safety with five games left to play.