I owe my Yorkshire career to Mick and the club

I DON’T think I would be playing for Yorkshire if it wasn’t for Sheriff Hutton Bridge — and Mick Oldfield is such a big part of that. He is the leader and sets the example for the players to follow. The hard work he puts in off the field, the lads do on it. It is quite surreal that he is still doing the ground at 80 but his work is relentless. He is there most mornings at the crack of dawn. The outfield is top notch and it has won awards for the best club outfield in the area. If there were stands there, you would think it was a county ground. It compares to Headingley and Scarborough.

Having a good ground with good facilities only helps grow the game. It gives players the motivation and pride to go down there to practise and perform. Every time I chat to Mick he is so positive. He wants the ground to look in great nick and he wants the team to do really well. It hurts him if we lose a game on a Saturday. Equally, when we won the Yorkshire Premier League at Headingley in 2019, it gave him so much joy and pride and motivation to keep going and doing the ground. He is just as chuffed when the junior teams win because he knows how vital they are to the club. Your first few years as a junior are so important and he is always so accommodating to anyone who wants to go down for extra practice. I fell in love with cricket because I fell in love with the Bridge. I owe a lot to the club and Mick for where I’ve got in my career and hopefully can go in the future.