OPPORTUNITY knocks on Saturday for York Cricket Club to complete a nap hand of success for its four teams if its senior XI can win the Yorkshire ECB Premier League Championship.

York have been in top spot since mid-June, but only enjoy a slender two-point lead over both Cleethorpes and Harrogate with Castleford, their opponents tomorrow, four points further behind.

The challenge is for York to take the full eight points for beating Cas and bowling them out in the process.

A win without claiming the full ten wickets would earn only six points and set up a tie for top place if either or both of Harrogate and Cleethorpes take the full eight points.

In this event, Cleethorpes are likely to prevail as they have most overall victories, but fewer outright victories than their rivals. The Lincolnshire outfit visit Driffield whereas Harrogate entertain Doncaster who have beaten both York and Castleford in the last two weeks.

Nigel Durham expects his team to be at full strength with the return of Greg How after a leg strain.

There will be pressure on the batsmen to fashion a winning total, but York's main card is likely to be the off-spin of Jeetan Patel and Dan Broadbent who have taken nearly 90 wickets between them this season. If they can get a stranglehold on the Castleford batters, led by the prodigious Andrew Bourke, York could well win the day and land their first championship since 1988.

This season York II have gained promotion to the premier division of the Hunters the Estate Agent York and District Senior League and won the Edward Readman Trophy.

York III have won the Senior League division six title, while York IV have secured promotion to division three of the Horwath Pulleyn Heselton York Vale League.

Updated: 11:23 Friday, September 12, 2003