Gillespie: No old pals’ act from me

YORKSHIRE coach Jason Gillespie has insisted that he has signed Jake Lehmann on merit.

Lehmann, 24, has replaced Travis Head after he had to leave Headingly to join Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka. He is the son of Australian head coach Darren Lehmann and someone that Gillespie has known for years.

“I’ve known Jake since he was a kid,” said Gillespie.

“I remember bowling to him in the nets when he came to state practice; he was 14, and I thought I would just come in and bowl a nice easy delivery to the young fella, and he just absolutely smoked me through the covers and all the boys started laughing at me.

“‘Boof’ (Darren Lehmann) and I are great mates, and I’m really good mates with Jake too, and the one thing I was conscious of when I spoke to Yorkshire about Jake was that I don’t want to be seen to just be promoting the people I know.

“Some people may think, ‘Gee, this is a big call’, but you only have to spend time with the young man to know that you’ve got a very determined character and someone who is desperate to perform, and I wouldn’t put my name to people like Travis Head, people like Jake Lehmann, if I didn’t think they were going to be an asset to Yorkshire.

“Jake plays aggressively and looks to play his shots. He’s played a full season of first-class cricket for South Australia and hit three centuries including a double, so the kid’s got a bit about him.

“He hasn’t played a lot of first-class cricket, but he’s got the nous, the know-how, and he understands the game well and reads it well.”

Meanwhile, Yorkshire director of cricket Martyn Moxon has admitted that losing Head was a massive blow, saying: “It’s obviously not ideal that Travis has gone, but it was nice to have had him briefly and he did well for us.

“He fitted into the dressing room well, and he’s a good lad as well as a talented player. It’s nice to have forged a relationship with him, and he’s certainly someone we would look to get back if the circumstances were right.

“It’s difficult to get quality overseas players in for any length of time, and that they can be taken away from you at the drop of a hat.”