KEEPING calm is key for York Cricket Club as they plot the defence of their Solly Sports Yorkshire ECB County Premier League title.

Two defeats this season and repeated interruptions from the weather, the latest of which saw their game with Hull abandoned last weekend, have seen captain Dan Woods’ men drop to fifth in the table, nearly 20 points behind leaders Harrogate.

But rather than get despondent, or moan about the rain, Woods is backing his men to stay focused and take their chance when they get back out into the middle – starting at home tomorrow against struggling Doncaster Town.

The visitors can boast only one incomplete win in their nine outings and look a great chance to pick up a maximum eight-point haul. Woods, however, will not be taking the South Yorkshire side lightly.

“They are a side we feel we should beat but we know they have some very dangerous players,” he said.

“We will be trying to get eight points but we can’t underestimate them. If we get any cricket we will be looking to play as hard as possible.”

On the weather, he added: “It was very disappointing for our game against Hull to be called off, especially as Rotherham and Harrogate both played and won.

“We are more hopeful than confident regarding this weekend and I know we will be doing everything possible to get the game on. We need a good run of results to catch up with Rotherham and Harrogate.

“We know we have a good side. If we can get on a run we can catch up. It is a long season and, looking back previously, we have been behind teams and have caught them up. We need to take each game as it comes.”

York are particularly hoping for an extended period in the middle as they host Blaydon the following day in the group final of the ECB National Club Championship.

It’s a “massive” game for the club, said Woods, who at the start of the season targeted an extended run in the competition, one of the few the Clifton Parkers have not been able to win in the last few years.

“There is no doubt about it, it is big day for the club,” he added.

“We had a fantastic victory over South Northumberland in the previous round and it really meant a lot to win that game, given that we have had disappointments against them in the past.

“Blaydon will be a very strong team from a very strong league. We do have home advantage and we hope that can make a difference.”

York will play the same side that started the Hull game, with Australian batsman Dan Wilson playing the last game of his short spell with the Clifton Parkers before returning down under.

He is ineligible for the Blaydon game so vice-captain Nick Kay, who will turn out for the seconds tomorrow, regains his place in the side.

Kay will be captain with Woods missing to play for Cheshire in the quarter-finals of the Minor Counties Cup against Dorset, while batsman Andrew Tute is also unavailable on Sunday.

Carl Blundell and Charlie Elliot come into a squad of 12, which is bolstered by former skipper Marcus Wood, who comes in to bring solidity to the middle order.