VICTORY over Harrogate would be a statement success for York Cricket Club, reckons vice-captain Tom Pringle.

The Clifton Parkers entertain the Solly Sports Yorkshire ECB County Premier League leaders tomorrow looking to begin the task of bridging a 22-point gap to the top of the table.

York's game at Appleby Frodingham last time out was a victim of the weather and, as a side that won the league title seven years in a row, club chiefs are keen to improve on their fifth placed position as quickly as possible.

On Harrogate, Pringle said: "I am pretty sure they have won every league they have played in. They have lost a cup game so that shows they are vulnerable and that they can be beaten. They have had a really good start to the season.

"We can get onto the front foot and Harrogate are a team we normally do very well against. It has been a really stop start season, although last week was the first time we were rained off. We just need to get going and, hopefully, victory against Harrogate will kick start the season and can start us on a really good run of form.

"We want to make a statement. Harrogate are always in and around the top at this time of year and have faded away in previous years. It has been quite a while without a league title for them and they may get more and more anxious as the season goes on.

"They have also had quite a few students playing for them and, once they go back, they have been left a player or two short. This year, though, they have got a more settled bank of players. They made a change with their skipper Ryan Bradshaw leaving and sometimes things need freshening up a little bit.

"They have started really well with George Ross and have got a few new players and a new mental attitude."

Harrogate boast the league's leading run-scorer in Jonathon Tattersall, who has crashed 626 runs in 12 innings at an average of 69.56. With five 50s and two tons to his name, including a high score of 126, York will need to limit a batsman who has scored a quarter of his team's runs this season.

Pringle misses out on the Harrogate game but skipper Nick Kay returns to the side in the only change from the team scheduled to play at Appleby last weekend.