YORK Cricket Club promote 20-year-old James Pringle this Bank Holiday weekend to their Yorkshire ECB Premier League side.

He has been scoring heavily in the second XI in the Hunters Estate Agents York Senior League premier division.

He will have an interesting debut as, on Sunday, York visit the Yorkshire Academy in a fixture rearranged from Headingley to New Rover CC at Adel because of next week's Test Match against New Zealand.

The Academy, who will be led by former York skipper Ian Dews, have been playing some of the county's second squad in recent matches and this has taken them close to the league leaders, Driffield.

It would be interesting if Sheriff Hutton-based Nick Thornicroft plays for the Academy as he and Pringle were contemporaries at Easingwold School.

More likely, and of equal note, is that Ajmal Shahzad will almost certainly play for the Academy.

Last week he earned the distinction of being the first Yorkshire-born player of Asian ethnic origin to play first class cricket for Yorkshire.

On Monday, York travel to Sheffield United with an unchanged squad and Pringle will face last season's Yorkshire Seconds captain fast bowler Pieter Swanepoel, who now has an English qualification.

The weekend double-header gives York a good opportunity to escape their mid-table position and indicate whether they can again challenge for the league title.

Meanwhile, York Ladies CC suffered a blow in their attempt to retain hold of the Lady Spearman League Championship when they lost to Beverley Ladies by 18 runs.

The East Yorkshire side have a young and athletic side, particularly strong on bowling and they contained York to a total of 248. With every player having to bowl one over, York did not have the depth to contain runs and take wickets, so Beverley's last pair guided their team to a comfortable victory.

Next Wednesday Clifton Alliance and York Cricket Clubs will combine to host the Lord Taverner's Competition for Under 15 and U13 girls' area teams from throughout Yorkshire.

The matches will be of 20 overs each in a group format with finalists play-offs and will take place from 10am to 5pm.

Interested potential players are welcome to spectate. Contact Chris Houseman on 610258.

Oxbridge Yorkshire ECB County Premier League standings (played six unless stated: Driffield 34pts, Harrogate 33, Yorkshire Academy 32, Sheffield United 27 (played seven), Doncaster 26 (played five), York 26, Cleethorpes 23 (played five), Barnsley 22, Sheffield Collegiate 20, Appleby Frodingham 19, Scarborough 14 (played five), Rotherham 11, Castleford 10, Hull 1.

Updated: 12:31 Friday, May 28, 2004