Young and old heads give Yorkshire edge

STEVE PATTERSON feels Yorkshire now have a healthy mixture of youth and experience in their squad and is confident of a successful 2019 for the county.

Seamer Patterson will captain the side again this summer having taken over from Gary Ballance midway through last season.

Ever since narrowly missing out on three straight Championship titles in 2016, the White Rose hierarchy have spoken about the challenges of a transitional period ahead.

This winter, fast bowlers Jack Brooks (Somerset) and Liam Plunkett (Surrey), 34 and 33-years-old respectively, have left, and in has come former South Africa international Duanne Olivier – 26 – on a three-year Kolpak contract.

Mat Pillans and Josh Poysden also arrived late last summer.

In the batting department, they have opted against starting the season with an overseas player, an area which has not brought consistent success in recent times, and have signed homegrown 22-year-old Will Fraine from Nottinghamshire.

They are hoping for heavy runs from the likes of Adam Lyth and Ballance alongside Lions batsman Tom Kohler-Cadmore, while 20-year-old Harry Brook has all the ability in the world and is set to play all formats again.

In the bowling department, Patterson, Ben Coad and Olivier will carry the majority of the wicket-taking load.

Yorkshire have finished fourth in the Specsavers Division One for the last two seasons and, despite regularly reaching