YORK'S new cricket captain, Nigel Durham, will be hoping that history will not repeat itself when the rain-threatened York-shire ECB County Premier League programme starts tomorrow.

Wicketkeeper Durham, who has taken over from Ian Dews as skipper of the Clifton Park side, is anxious that his team don't lose early ground in the title race.

He recalls that in the run up to last season's opening games, arch rivals Scarborough were the only club to benefit from the weather as they made a flying start by extracting maximum points from a six-wicket victory over Hull, as the rest of the league lay idle.

Yorkshire League groundsmen face another race against time this year, after this week's deluge threatened to wash out the first games of the new millennium.

York are scheduled to play champions Doncaster at Clifton Park tomorrow, and although it could be argued that if any games are to be lost to the weather, it might as well be against the top dogs, Durham would prefer to get on with the game if at all possible.

He has passed up the opportunity of going on tour to Germany as skipper of York Rugby Union Club to take up his new role as wicketkeeper/captain at Clifton Park.

All the York players are raring to go, none more so than new 19-year-old Australian import Nash Stone, a right hand bat and medium pacer who has played first grade cricket for East Redland in the Queensland Cricket Association.

In one of the youngest York sides for years, a lot will depend on the senior members of last year's squad, like Marcus Wood, Shaun Gorman, Greg How and Durham.

Doncaster, meanwhile, have to wait another week before being joined by Pakistani Test bowler, Shabbir Ahmed, who with fellow Pakistani speed merchant, Shoaib Aktar, has been dogged by accusations of suspect bowling actions.

After taking 70 wickets at an average of 12.18 and remodelling his action, Shabbir, 24 last week, is understood to have been cleared to bowl again by the ICC.

Two of Yorkshire's up and coming colts, Simon Widdup and Simon Guy are expecting to be in action tomorrow against York, Widdup having taken over the captaincy from Pakistani Barbar Butt, who has now taken out British citizenship and moved to another league.

Scarborough captain Nick Tubbs is pleased that South African pace bowler Brad Wigney has returned to North Marine Road for a other season starting at Appleby Frodingham tomorrow.

John Proud continues as skipper of Harrogate who, reputedly for the first time in recent memory, are without an overseas player. Their first game is at Sheffield United.

If their game with Doncaster is called off tomorrow, York will be hoping to get their season underway at home to Yorkshire Academy on Bank Holiday Monday.

Should this game go ahead, it would mean the club renew acquaintances with last year's skipper Ian Dews, who has moved to the young Leeds-based side as captain.

Weather allowing, Dews is set to make his debut for the Academy outfit tomorrow, against Sheffield Collegiate.

Elsewhere on Monday, Harr-ogate play host to Appleby Frodingham and Scarborough are at home to Rotherham Town.