BUSY York Cricket Club faces its fifth consecutive double-header weekend with fixtures against two South Yorkshire clubs.

Success is breeding success for the unbeaten Yorkshire ECB Premier League champions who have made an excellent start to the season.

Marcus Wood's side travel to Doncaster tomorrow for a league clash. Doncaster have made a slow start to the season but appeared to get in to their stride last weekend with victories over Scarborough and Wickersley.

The following day York entertain Sheffield-based Whitley Hall in the third round of the ECB Cockspur National KO Cup.

Conquerers of Easingwold, Hall play in the ambitious South Yorkshire League where York have flattered before - usually on visits to Wickersley's tiny ground near Rotherham.

With home advantage York will hope to progress further in the competition which they won exactly 30 years ago.

A key figure for York this weekend will be speed merchant Nick Thornicroft (pictured above). The pace bowler destroyed Driffield in the league last Saturday with a 6-20 haul to take his tally of league wickets this season to 12 at a cost of 99 runs.

Sheriff Hutton-based Thornicroft will be back in the attack at Clifton Park next Tuesday when Yorkshire Seconds take on a combined Middlesex and Kent XI on the opening day of a three-day Second XI Championship fixture.

Also supplying the pace bowling will be Jon Blain, David Lucas with England under-19 player Mark Lawson providing the spin.

Yorkshire are likely to field a strong side with a fair smattering of first-class experience. The batting will comprise Chris Taylor, Joe Sayers, Andrew Gayle and Richard Pyrah. Richard Blakey will be captain but Simon Guy will don the gloves.

As Kent and Middlesex have combined forces it can be expected that they will also have a strong side.

Meanwhile, York CC have arranged a spin bowling clinic under the direction of Ashley Mallett the former Australian Test spinner.

The event is part of the Costcutter Supermarkets sponsorship of York CC to invest in grass-roots cricket development.

The clinic will take place on May 31, June 1 and 2 at Clifton Park. There will be day sessions for juniors of 11-16 years and evening sessions for seniors. There will also be a session for coaches. Batsmen wanting to learn about facing spin bowling are also welcome.

Mallett, who played 32 Tests for Australia in the late 1960s and early 70s and took 132 wickets, is an internationally recognised coach and is in the UK coaching County squads and leading players.

Inquiries about the clinic should be made to York CC chairman Chris Houseman on 01904 610258 or 07711 366019.

Updated: 09:51 Friday, May 20, 2005