Yorkshire players get ready for return
YORKSHIRE’S CRICKETERS will return to training on Monday as plans intensify for an August restart.
The players will train in groups of six in line with government guidance on coronavirus.
Mark Arthur, the club’s chief executive, said: “We might have a couple of groups in on a Monday, a couple of groups in on a Tuesday, and so on, so it’s all spread out.”
The players will stay on the government support scheme on those days when they are not training.
All being well, county cricket will start at the beginning of August when it is hoped to play a regionalised Championship and T20 Blast.
“At this moment in time we’reconfident,”saidArthur. “If we’re allowed to use hotels then we’re looking forward to playing some Championship cricket.
“If we’re not allowed to use them, then it will revert to 50-over regional cricket, I would have thought, alongside the T20 Blast. But, as things stand, we’re looking forward to Championship cricket in the main in August and then going into September too.
“We haven’t seen the schedule or the fixtures, but they’re being worked up, and there’s going to be a vote on the whole subject by the county chairmen on July 7.”
Yorkshire’s preference is for some form of red-ball action, with the Championship likely to be split into three groups of six counties who would play each team in their group once, with the top two teams qualifying for a final. Should a four-day tournament not prove possible, there could still be local red-ball friendlies when teams commute on a daily basis. This could lead to matches between the great Roses rivals, for example, Yorkshire and Lancashire, or games involving Yorkshire and Durham.
Yorkshire’s director of cricket, Martyn Moxon said: “We know there would be counties willing to set up friendly games, and with second-team friendlies it’s similar,” he said. “If there’s no national competition for second XIs, we will also try and set up friendlies with counties. There is an absolute will around the country for that to happen.”