Yorkshire just cannot afford one poor session all summer
YORKSHIRE’S injury crisis is easing as they aim to kick-start their season at the second attempt.
The club were without five frontline pace bowlers during their defeat to Hampshire in the opening match.
But David Willey (shoulder) and Matthew Fisher (groin) are in a 13-man squad for today’s game at Edgbaston, while Liam Plunkett (calf) and Ryan Sidebottom (hamstring) are seven to 14 days from a return.
Only Jack Brooks, who has now had his first bowl since sustaining a calf injury, remains “several weeks away”, according to the club.
Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow have not been made available by England for the opening two rounds, but international colleague Adil Rashid can play in this week’s fixture.
Rashid replaces off-spinner Azeem Rafiq, while another to drop out of the team from the Hampshire game is Josh Shaw, who is replaced in the squad by fellow pace bowler Jared Warner.
Ben Coad keeps his place after starring with match figures of 8-133 against Hampshire on only his second Championship appearance.
Despite Coad’s performance, Yorkshire lost by four wickets at Headingley in an early blow to their title hopes.
After gaining a first innings lead of 132, Yorkshire moved 247 runs clear with seven second innings wickets left only to collapse from 115-3 to 187 all-out, leaving Hampshire a difficult but manageable target of 320.
According to Yorkshire captain Gary Ballance, it emphasised that his team cannot afford to have one poor session if they want to win silverware.
“I thought we played some good cricket during the match, but to win games in this division you’ve got to play good cricket for the whole game,” said Ballance.
“You can’t have a bad session, or even a bad hour.
“If we’d got another 50-70 runs, made them chase something in the region of 400, we’d have been right in the front seat.
“We were very disappointed, but we just have to hold our heads high and pick ourselves up at Edgbaston.”
Ballance’s sentiments would doubtless be echoed by his Warwickshire counterpart Ian Bell, whose side lost their opening game at Surrey by an innings.
Bell was one of five men dismissed for a duck as Warwickshire were routed for 91 in reply to Surrey’s 454.
Bell struck 64 in the second innings and Jonathan Trott 151 as Warwickshire scored 362.
But this week’s match is a meeting between two stronglyfancied sides who will be keen to show that their respective results last time were just a blip.
“We need to pick ourselves up quickly and I’m confident that we can do that,” said Ballance.
“We’ve got some highly talented players in our team.
“At the same time, we know that it will be tough because Warwickshire are a good side with some very good players, too.
“But we’ve played well against them in the last few years, and hopefully we can do it again.”
Yorkshire have lost only one of their last 17 matches against Warwickshire, winning nine and drawing seven.
They have also won three and drawn one of their last four games against them at Edgbaston. However, Yorkshire first-team coach and former captain Andrew Gale knows that statistics count for little, particularly at this early stage of the season.
He is looking for a swift response from his side.
“What you’re after is to see a reaction from the players,” said Gale. “The lads want to put the wrongs right, and it’s good that the games are coming around thick and fast and that they’ve got the opportunity to be able to do that.
“But Warwickshire have had a tough start as well, and I expect them to bounce back.
“There are no easy games in the First Division of the Championship;
“Hampshire should have been relegated last season, yet look at the grit and determination they showed against us last week.”