Yorkshire back in Division One!
Yorkshire will be delighted to make a return to Division One in 2025, undoubtedly their primary goal of this championship season. They secured the second spot in Division Two, finishing just 20 points behind champions Sussex. Going into the 2025, they would want to break their record of winning the County Championship 33 times, most by any team, next best being Surrey with 21 titles.
The standout moment in the Championship came in the final match against Northamptonshire, where James Wharton scored a massive 285 and the experienced pro Adam Lyth scored 147, which took them to 726-7 declared. They have a talented bowling line up led by Ben Coad. He was Yorkshire’s leading wicket taker, consistently securing important wickets, including a four-wicket haul in the final game, which secured promotion. He had three five-wicket hauls, finishing the season with 56 wickets at an impressive average of 15.80. George Hill also delivered strong performances, contributing key spells throughout the season. Matthew Fisher had two significant five wicket hauls but appearances were limited by injury. Dom Bess had one fifer and finished with 14 wickets at 26.92, ahead of his potential usurper Dan Moriarty, who took 12 wickets at 64.08. The bowlers were then backed up by some solid fielding.
On the downside, they were a bit over reliant on Coad, Bess, and Fisher with Fisher now departing. However, they were able to overcome the challenges caused by injuries to Mickey Edwards and Matt Milnes with stress fractures in the foot and back respectively. Edwards injury has now led to his retirement from the game.
Ottis Gibson, the head coach, acknowledged the team’s good cricketing moments especially given the injury challenges they had faced, but also emphasized that they could perform better with improved execution of plans. He highlighted issues with discipline in the bowling and some fielding errors that needed improvement. After the defeat to Sussex, he talked about missed opportunities and the role inexperience had in the difficulty in handling pressure. He pointed to the need for greater depth in the squad moving forward.
Yorkshire had a mixed campaign in the Vitality Blast. There were patches of brilliance, demonstrated by the 7-run victory against Lancashire, Shan Masood, the Pakistani Test captain scoring 61, but they struggled for consistency. 22-year-old Jafer Chohan’s performances were a positive for the club, taking 17 wickets at an average of 15.5. Despite this, the Vikings overall results did not meet expectations. There were some strong individual contributions, specifically from the bowlers, but unfortunately this could not be converted into a successful run to the knockout stages. They won six games, lost six, with two games ending in no result.
The performance in the Metro Bank One Day Cup was also mixed, winning four games and losing four. They failed to secure a spot in the knockout stages, finishing fifth in their group. One of the exceptional performances came in the victory against Warwickshire, George Hill delivering a superb bowling spell to take six wickets for 28 runs, while Will Luxton scored a maiden century finishing on 105 not out. The win kept their hopes alive temporarily.
Results
Vitality CC: Second in Division Two
Vitality Blast: Seventh in North Group
Metro Bank ODC: Sixth in Group B
Leading run-scorers
Vitality CC: Adam Lyth 1215 at 57.85
Vitality Blast: Dawid Malan 420 at 42.00; Strike rate 135.04
Metro Bank ODC: Will Luxton 247 at 35.28; Strike rate 78.16
Leading wicket-takers
Vitality CC: Ben Coad 56 wickets at 15.80
Vitality Blast: Jordan Thompson 20 at 19.65; Economy rate 9.17
Metro Bank ODC: George Hill 17 at 17.64; Economy rate 4.63
Player of the Season
Adam Lyth had an outstanding season, playing a pivotal role in Yorkshire’s promotion back to Division One. He was a consistent run-scorer, finishing the season with an impressive 1,215 runs in the Championship at an average of 57.85. He scored five centuries, displaying his ability to anchor the innings and contribute significantly in high pressure situations.
Breakthrough Player
The breakthrough player was Jafer Chohan. The young leg-spinner made a significant impact in the Blast, including five for 14 against Durham. As a result, he earned himself a contract with the Southern Brave and a long-term contract with Yorkshire. More recently he has made headlines by receiving his first call-up to the England squad for their white-ball tour of the West Indies later this month.
Could have done better
Yorkshire struggled in the Vitality Blast, finishing seventh in the South Group. The inconsistency in both batting and bowling was evident, failing to chase down totals or defend scores. Improving strategies for the shorter format, including better execution of plans in pressure situations, will be an aim. Although players like Wharton and Lyth had standout seasons, there were times when the batting lineup collapsed. Producing a more reliable middle-order batting performance and finding a consistent contributor in the lower order would produce more comnpetitive totals.
What is next?
Following their promotion to Division One, Yorkshire will need to strengthen their squad and develop strategies to compete at a higher level. This includes focusing on player fitness, especially for key bowlers like Coad, to ensure they can handle the increased competition.
With players like Chohan receiving England call-ups, Yorkshire are set to invest further in their youth development programs. They will look to nurture their young talents, ensuring they are ready for the rigors of top-flight cricket.
Anthony McGrath has been named as the new men’s head coach, taking over from Gibson. McGrath, who will assume the role in November 2024, comes with a strong coaching background, notably from Essex, where he led the team to multiple titles, including the County Championship and T20 Blast in 2019. His leadership also helped Essex secure the Bob Willis Trophy in 2020.
McGrath, a Yorkshire native, had a long-playing career with the club, including a stint as captain in 2003. He also represented England in both Test and one-day formats. Returning to Yorkshire, McGrath has expressed his excitement about the opportunity, aiming to guide the team to further success and tap into the club’s deep history and staunch supporter base.
Season Rating
Yorkshire’s 2024 season highlighted their potential, especially with promotion to Division One. With targeted improvements in T20 performances and squad depth, they will look to enhance their standing in upcoming seasons.
Mark: 7.5/10