Yorkshire making most of their break

GARY Ballance believes time away from the rigours of first-team cricket will be good for Yorkshire’s players ahead of a crucial final month of the summer.

The White Rose, who are next in action in the Specsavers County Championship on September 5, have not had a fixture in any competition since August 17.

Their time has been spent resting and playing second-team cricket, something which a large number of the squad will be doing this week.

Yorkshire return to action with a Championship match against Middlesex at Headingley next Tuesday.

It is the first of four remaining Division One matches, with the champions of 2014 and 2015 in an unusual position at the wrong end of the table.

The worst case scenario would see them just two points above the relegation zone by the time they take the field next week.

But Ballance is backing his players to put previous inconsistencies behind them, especially having had time to clear their heads and work on their games.

“It will be a strong second team with the lads not having placed much red ball cricket lately,” said the skipper of their three-day clash with Derbyshire which starts at Harrogate today, which he is missing.

“We’ll put a strong side out so that the batsmen can get some good time at the crease and the bowlers can get overs under their belts. It will be good for the guys.

“We’re not used to this kind of period in a season, especially coming so late.

“A two-week break in a season hasn’t happened since I’ve been playing.

“It sounds strange to say, but we almost feel like it’s a mini pre-season because we’re normally back-to-back.

“It’s a bit weird, but it’s given the guys a good chance to take a break and clear their heads knowing we’ve got four big games to finish the season off. We’re certainly seeing it as a good thing.”