YORK Cricket Club’s players enjoy nothing more than a bit of dressing up, revealed vice-captain Nick Kay.

The Clifton Parkers embark on yet another busy weekend of action when they visit bottom side Rotherham Town in the Solly Sports Yorkshire ECB County Premier League tomorrow.

But it is the Yorkshire League Cup second round clash against Cleethorpes at Clifton Park on Sunday that has skipper Dan Woods and his men all of a flutter.

With the Shipton Road outfit currently fighting on a number of fronts – including the Kingfisher Beer Cup and the Black Sheep Yorkshire Champions Trophy – York’s players would have been forgiven for putting the competition lower down on their list of priorities.

But Kay said: “Normally it might have been a chance to blood some young players but the format has been changed and it is now a 45-over competition.

“There are batting and bowling power plays and you have the pink ball and coloured clothing, and we will be up for the game.

“A new format is quite exciting. It’s something we haven’t had a chance to play before and, while it is not as important as the national knockout, it is only two wins away from a cup final and we will have home advantage and a big crowd.”

He added: “When we played in the t20 competition we had the coloured clothing and there is a different mentality about the lads.

“They really do enjoy it and it is something different from playing league cricket.”

First up, though, is what Kay believes will be a tricky league match at Rotherham.

Having only won one game in ten this season, and propping up the table on eight points, it should be a relatively straightforward task for York, who hammered Harrogate last week to take an eight-point lead at the summit.

Kay, however, does not concur.

“I don’t believe the league table puts a true reflection on the ability of their team,” he said.

“They are the side that, for the last two years, have been pretty much challenging us for the title.

“They have lost three players but have got back Ben Sanderson, the Yorkshire county player, and he makes a massive difference to them with both the bat and the ball.

“It is top versus bottom but I think they are a bit of a better side than some of the teams we have played. We are not taking anything for granted.

“They really like to beat York. They will come out all guns blazing and we have had a pretty ordinary record over there through the years.”

Reflecting on last week’s dominating win at Harrogate, Kay said: “We had a very good chat as a group after the Driffield loss and the league title will be decided by a few points.

“We couldn’t afford to drop two matches behind.

“It was absolutely vital to win and a few of us realised we had to buck our ideas up. We bounced back really well.”

Duncan Snell and Jack Leaning, who hit the runs for Yorkshire Seconds in a t20 friendly double-header against Durham at York’s Clifton Park in midweek, will continue their formidable opening partnership on both days, with Simon Lambert and Matthew Hodsdon coming in for the League Cup clash.

Kay is unavailable on Sunday.