RETURNING vice-captain Dan Woods reckons competition at York Cricket Club has never been greater – as the Clifton Parkers prepare for another tough weekend of action.

Table-toppers York go to Sheffield United tomorrow for a Solly Sports Yorkshire ECB premier division clash before travelling to Chester-le-Street on Sunday for the second round of the ECB National Club Championship.

A week after they crushed Gateshead Fell by six wickets with a side which combined youth and experience, bringing admirable performances from brothers Ryan and Liam McKendry, York head to County Durham for a tie they know will prove to be extremely tough.

But, off the back of that performance and Oliver Hairs’ century in a 203-run league victory over Appleby Frodingham, spirits are high, and even more so with the knowledge the side are yet to hit top form.

Woods, who missed the knockout match because he was representing Cheshire in the Minor Counties, reckons picking a first XI is getting ever harder for skipper Marcus Wood and coach Jim Love.

“The second team is doing very well,” he said. “Oliver Hairs batted extremely well last week and there are probably 12 or 13 players in the mix especially given what Ryan McKendry did last week.

“There is not one first-team player who can rest on their laurels. We have a lot of good young players. They, quite rightly, want to be playing first team cricket.”

York won’t know a lot about Chester-le-Street, who were National Club Knockout champions and North East Premier League champions in 2009, but they will be aware of the strength of the league they represent – having been beaten by neighbours South Northumberland in a friendly this season and in a Twenty20 competition in 2010.

Woods added: “It’s a very strong league and we expect them to be a very strong side. Tom Bartram used to play for them when he was at university so we will be trying to get as much information about them from him as we can.

“That’s what makes this competition so good. We are playing sides we don’t know a lot about and going to new grounds. It’s exciting.”