MARCUS Wood, York's captain, is well aware that this Bank Holiday weekend's Yorkshire ECB Premier League home double header is a tougher assignment than last weekend's successes.

Clifton Park welcomes North Yorkshire rivals Scarborough tomorrow and Sheffield Collegiate on Monday with York keen to build on the victories against Appleby Frodingham and Cockspur Cup opponents Saltburn.

Darren Harland, scorer of nearly 1,000 runs last campaign, again skippers the Seasiders, who include former York quickie Rich Gilbert, who took 62 wickets last season.

Also in the side is South African State batsman Rayno Rendse and Yorkshire's leg spin prospect Mark Lawson, who has both England Under 19 and County experience.

Lawson has replaced Rob Barlow, who will be in the Collegiate squad alongside former Yorkshire, Wilberfoss and Scarborough off spinner Andy Gray, who now claims English qualified status and will pose plenty of danger.

York pipped the Abbeydale side by a point for the league championship last year by beating them on the final day of the season so a battle royal can be expected.

York bring Mark Bell in for his first league game of the campaign and include Lawson's England Under 19 colleagues Dan Broadbent and Nick Thornicroft.

Monday's squad will be selected after tomorrow's performance against Scarborough is assessed.

Meanwhile, Harrogate will stage Bradford-Leeds Universities' Centre of Cricketing Excellence's first home game next Wedneday when they tackle Oxford UCCE.

The Bradford-Leeds squad, which includes York's James Pringle, are brimming with confidence after their historic victory over Surrey at The Oval last week.

The six UCCE's in England and Wales came into existence in 2001 and this was only the second time that any of them has ever beaten a first class county. It was also the first win over a county by one of the two Centres not yet awarded first class status.

The feat is a feather in the cap of Bradford-Leeds coach Richard Horner, who took up his post when Kevin Sharp joined Yorkshire's coaching staff over two years' ago.

"Surrey had two front line bowlers injured in the second innings but I am not making any excuses for winning," said a delighted Horner.

"The previous week we had been slaughtered by Northamptonshire and I didn't complain about our bad luck then, so I am not going to devalue our performance at The Oval."

Bradford-Leeds and Oxford play a one-day game on Wednesday followed by a match in the two-day competition on Thursday and Friday.

Updated: 10:46 Friday, April 29, 2005