York Cricket Club captain plots national club success to add to league title (From York Press)

York Cricket Club captain plots national club success to add to league title

10:30am Saturday 15th September 2012 in Sport By Steve Carroll, Sports reporter

DAN WOODS is determined to establish York Cricket Club as one of the country’s top sides with victory in the ECB National Club Championship final tomorrow.

The Clifton Park skipper leads his men against Wanstead & Snaresbrook in the knockout showpiece at Derbyshire’s County Ground (11am) looking to bring home the club’s first national trophy triumph in 37 years.

“As long as I have been at the club, it has obviously been a huge competition and one you aspire to do as well as you can in,” Woods said.

“It is a benchmark for how good a club side you are throughout the country.

“If sides do well in this competition they are regarded as a very strong club. We are proud to be in the final of the competition. We are proud of our achievement in beating some seriously strong sides in the run up to this final.

“But there is the feeling that we haven’t achieved anything yet. Even celebrating winning the Yorkshire League , we celebrated it for the wonderful achievement it was, but it wasn’t the end of the season. It is important we know we have to bounce back again.”

Woods added that the most important thing for his side was to play to their potential, while also rewarding their loyal supporters.

“We just want to give it everything we have got,” he said.

“As a team we want to be successful for ourselves but we know there is greater support from elsewhere – from the supporters who have travelled throughout the country to watch us play to players who have performed for us in the past and continue to send us their best wishes.

“The number of people who have texted or rung up has been incredible. That support has really influenced us to push on even more.

“They are at the top of their league and, if you are in the final of the knockout then you expect to play a very good team.

“We know they will have strength in depth with bat and ball and we have a lot of respect for them. We are confident in our own ability.”

York: Duncan Snell, Liam McKendry, Oliver Hairs, Alex Collins, Ryan McKendry, Nick Kay, Simon Lambert, Steve Crossley, Tom Pringle, Dan Woods, Glen Richmond. Charlie Elliot (12th man).

• Keep up to date with the ECB National Club Championship final by following The Press’ Steve Carroll on Twitter @scarrollpress .