Jonathan Bairstow was Man of the Match as Yorkshire Academy beat champions York by four wickets to win the ECB Oxbridge Yorkshire County Premier League Cup and put silver on the Headingley Carnegie table.

Jonathan Bairstow was Man of the Match as Yorkshire Academy beat champions York by four wickets to win the ECB Oxbridge Yorkshire County Premier League Cup and put silver on the Headingley Carnegie table.

It was a welcome return to the Academy for first-teamer Jonathan - who began the afternoon with the most important catch of the day, and went on to hold his side together with 47 just when they might have wobbled.

It is the third time Academy have lifted the Cup - and it was just reward for captain-coach John Blain, who came so close to seeing his Colts clinch the double: Academy ended up third in the Yorkshire League after topping the table for much of the season. He lost the toss - a rare happening this season - on a chilly day at Headingley, and Academy must have worried when League record-holder Dan Wilson took strike for the Cup-holders. The pitch was true - but the pacemen were to prove that it had bounce.

An over from Moin Ashraf, two to Wilson - and the champion fell to Blain's first ball: a superb catch by wicket-keeper Bairstow down the leg-side. Duncan Snell and Simon Mason settled with a a stand of 88 before off-spinner Azeem Rafiq had Snell caught by Blain at mid-on.

David Girling took a catch in the deep to despatch Mason, whose 53 had come off 76 balls in 96 minutes - and at 104-3 York's leading run-scorers had gone. All four spinners bowled tightly, and the run rate slowed in mid-innings. Collins held firm, and accumulated runs, but Ashley Hulme fell to a fine catch in the deep by Ashraf.

Nick Kay was not at ease with Blain's short stuff, and eventually he was bowled for 10. Skipper Mark Wood added 16  before becoming Rafiq's third victim, and Ashraf removed Bartram's middle-stump. York had to close on 207-7 in the allotted 50 overs.

Academy openers Joe Root and Gary Ballance cruised along in fine style to 102 - when Root, 38, was lbw on the sweep to left-arm spinner Hulme. Ballance, 50, fell without addition - pulling a long-hop straight to substitute Murphy. Gary will be unhappy at the way he got out - but his half-century saw off the pace attack.

Callum Geldart played a rash shot and fell to the spin of Australian Wilson, but Bairstow looked secure, and he continued to accumulate runs. The aggressive Charlie Roebuck had a super knock: he struck a robust 40 with eight fours before he fell to a fast catch at first slip by Mason off Bartram. Bairstow holed out off Australian spinner Wilson when the job looked as good as done, so Jack Hargreaves hit the winning runs - a boundary to mid-wicket.

Fine captaincy by Blain...shrewd field placings and accurate Academy bowling...that century stand by Root and Ballance and the strong hitting of Roebuck - but it was the controlled innings by Bairstow that put the issue beyond doubt. 

The Academy ran home - and to the presentation table - with 35 balls to spare.

York Innings (maximum 50 overs): D Wilson c J Bairstow b J Blain 2, DHG Snell c J Blain b A Rafiq 38, S Mason c D Girling b A Rafiq 53, A Hulme c M Ashraf b G Randhawa 13, A Collins not out 52, N Kay b J Blain 10, M Wood (captain) b A Rafiq 16, T Bartram b M Ashraf 4, N Laidlaw not out 6. Extras (lb 8, w 5) 13
Total (7 wkts, 50 overs) 207
DNB: D Woods and N Durham (wicket-keeper)
FoW: 1-3, 2-91, 3-104, 4-138, 5-153, 6-182, 7-189

Bowling: M Ashraf 9-1-41-1, J Blain 10-1-40-2, J Hargreaves 4-0-17-0, D Girling 1-0-7-0, A Rafiq 10-0-31-3, G Randhawa 10-0-40-1, G Ballance 2-0-12-0, J Root 4-0-11-0

Yorkshire Academy Innings (maximum 50 overs): J Root lbw b A Hulme 38, G Ballance c Sub (Murphy) b D Wilson 50, C Geldart lbw b D Wilson 6, J Bairstow (wicket-keeper) c A Collins b D Wilson 47, C Roebuck c S Mason b T Bartram 40, A Rafiq c D Wilson b T Bartram 0, J Hargreaves not out 9, J Blain (captain) not out 0. Extras (b 1, lb 2, w 13, nb 2) 18
Total (6 wkts, 44.1 overs) 208
DNB: G Randhawa, D Girling and M Ashraf
FoW: 1-102, 2-102, 3-115, 4-172, 5-172, 6-204

Bowling: N Laidlaw 5-2-18-0, T Bartram 9.1-2-50-2, N Kay 5-0-24-0, D Woods 10-1-43-0, A Hulme 10-1-49-1, D Wilson 5-0-21-3

Result: Yorkshire Academy won by 4 wickets       

Umpires: Mr D Sharp (Leeds) and Mr MA Blackburn (Harrogate). Scorers: Mr HD Galley and Mr D Seaman

Words and Statistics: HAROLD GALLEY

Apologies to those attempting to listen to the radio commentary - technical difficulties rendered the commentary patchy, and we will be seeking remedial action to be taken before 2nd XI Trophy Final on September 21.