Yorkshire have haemorrhaged players for years now. We don't know what's been going on there exactly, but those in power seem hellbent on making those on the pitch feel as unwelcome as possible. Rumours of Chinese burns abound.This summer, Yorkshire proudly announced the signing of Chris Adams of Sussex as captain and director of cricket. He was set to bring the county back to its former glories, it seemed, until he decided that actually he didn't want to be involved with Yorkshire after all and went back to Sussex.
It's all been rather farcical, so we were expecting the Yorkshire team to be extracted from the stands before play yesterday. In actual fact, they look rather solid.
Their batting seems mature and heavy set, featuring county stalwarts Craig White and Anthony McGrath as well as new signings Younis Khan and Jacques Rudolph. Rudolph will be available all season having bizarrely signed an affidavit to say he won't play for South Africa for the duration of his three-year contract with Yorkshire.
Yorkshire's seam bowling seems handy too. Ageing seamers Jason Gillespie (who's just hit a hundred) and Darren Gough - newly installed as captain - lead the line, with occasional help from Matthew Hoggard, who will be absent for Tests but not one-dayers.
On top of that, Yorkshire can boast not one, but two high-class all-rounders. Tim Bresnan may be a work in progress, but he, like Jason Gillespie, has just hit a hundred. He's also represented England at just about every level. Adil Rashid is the player to catch the eye, however: A teenage leg-spinning all-rounder. They come about once every - well - never, really.
Having said all that, when Darren Gough's knackered after three games and Matthew Hoggard's on England duty, you wonder how much strength in depth they've got.
The Rudolph thing.
ReplyDeleteI _think_ there was a gentlemen's agreement that counties wouldn't sign Kolpak players who'd represented their countries (not counting U19, etc.)...which was instigated by Yorkshire, amongst others.
So, turning round and hiring Rudolph was all a bit dodgy. The "I won't play for SA" thing would be a way to make a dishonourable act seem more palatable. I don't like it. There's something rotten in the state of Yorkshire.
And another thing -- the white rose of Yorkshire. What's that all about? If a rose that deformed grew in my garden, I'd prune it off and call for the Men in Black. Once I'd gotten over the surprise of finding a rose bush growing in our paved-over back yard, anyway.
Aye, think Rudolph's signing was desperation as much as anything else.
ReplyDeleteGoughy says that the Rose has 11 petals, one for each member of the team and that the weird one in the middle is the captain (Gough himself).