DUNNINGTON and Easingwold will battle it out for the Hunters York & District Senior Cricket League Premier Cup at Acomb on Sunday, writes Jack Amor.

Dunnington are currently third in the premier division table and a tight contest is in prospect against an Easingwold side hot on their heels in fourth place.

Adam Iyer, Dunnington’s captain, said: “We are confident we can win this.

“Our previous matches were won easily. We beat Goole, Studley Royal and Sewerby comfortably but this will be our first real challenge in the cup this year.

“We are on a good roll and our strongest side will be out.”

With their last League Cup win coming in 2004, Dunnington are looking to lift the trophy after losing in the 2006 and 2010 finals.

Iyer does not believe this will have an effect on the team: “Our previous results in the cup will have no bearing on Sunday’s final.

“Unlike them, now we have a mix of old and young players, including Harwood Williams, Dave Johnson and Collis King, who are all ready for Sunday.

“We want to bat first and this will hopefully work to our advantage.”

Easingwold are hoping to win the trophy for the first time since 1997 and captain Martin Piercy said: “We can win this and we are determined to do so.

“We have been playing well and we beat both Acomb and Heworth convincingly in the previous rounds.

“Both us and Dunnington are strong batting sides and Acomb is a batsman’s paradise so this will be a close one.”

Easingwold have a poorer League Cup record than Dunnington, with their last final appearance coming back in 2002. Piercy said that was more of a motivation than a hindrance. “We have different players now and this cup is long overdue for us,” he said.

“Our mix of young and old players will help us a lot and, with league wins in 2000, 2004 and 2006 it’s about time we won the cup too.”

Former West Indies Test star King will be lining up for Dunnington on Sunday and the Easingwold captain said: “We’ve been playing against him for around ten years now and at times he is unstoppable.

“We have a good record against him, but you never know. There are no specific tactics we are going to use to stop him.”

A cup final win would be a huge boost for either team as they head into the last six league games of the season. Iyer said: “Maybe we will come second. Either way, if we win the cup it will be a real boost for the team.”

Piercy added: “If we get a top three finish and the cup, it will be a brilliant season for us. In the York league you can’t ask for much more than that.”