Unbeaten all season, Yorkshire have retained their Championship trophy with two-and-a-half games remaining and despite providing seven players to England teams. George Dobell assesses what other counties can learn from them
George Dobell10-Sep-2015Trusting youth
In the last few years, Yorkshire have selected 15-year-old Barney Gibson, albeit for a match against an MCCU side, and 17-year-old Matthew Fisher, who has also been trusted to bowl at the death in limited-overs games, in their first-class side. Jack Leaning and Alex Lees also made their debuts as teenagers, batting in the top order, while Joe Root (who captained the side aged 23) and Lees (who was been appointed limited-overs captain until at least the end of the season at the age of 22) were given leadership experience at a relatively early age.While not every such decision has worked out – Gibson has already left the professional game – the willingness to put their trust in youth has encouraged developing players who see opportunities and created an environment where players who came through the youth system together are now representing the senior team.But not fearing age
County cricket has witnessed something of a purge of mature players in the last few years. The performance-related fees for producing England players and incentives for fielding younger players have resulted in several clubs releasing most of their senior players. The idea was probably well intentioned, but it has seen quite a lot of wisdom leave county dressing rooms and seen the smaller clubs picks teams with at least one eye on the incentives. At times in county cricket over the last few seasons, the balance between youth and experience has been weighted far too heavily towards the former.James Middlebrook has chipped in to good effect as back-up to Adil Rashid•Getty ImagesYorkshire, while keen to bring through young players, also appreciated the value of experience. So after luring Ryan Sidebottom back from Nottinghamshire – who were reluctant to offer him the three-year deal he wanted (their initial offer was just 12 months) – on a long-term contract, they also re-signed James Middlebrook on a short-term deal in April of this year.At first glance is was an odd move: Middlebrook was 37 at the time and had just been released by Northamptonshire, the club that came bottom of Division One the previous year. But with Adil Rashid absent on England duty – well, 12th man duty – Yorkshire felt they needed an experienced spin bowler and did not want to overburden Kyle Carver at this early stage of his career.It is a move that has worked well. Middlebrook, now aged 38 and the oldest man in the squad, has only played five Championship games but, midway through Yorkshire’s match against Middlesex, he was second in their bowling averages and has played a part in the success. Sidebottom, the second oldest in the squad, is the only man with a lower average.Managing the workload
Yorkshire have used 21 players in this Championship campaign and Root is not one of them. While that is largely explained by England call-ups, the coaching staff also took the decision to manage the workload of their key players. Sidebottom and Jack Brooks, for example, were often rested for white-ball games (Sidebottom did not play a limited-overs game all season) and, on the odd occasion when Yorkshire encountered conditions which gave them little encouragement – such as at Hove in late August – they were wise enough not to flog the pair into the ground. Brooks was rested and Sidebottom used relatively sparingly.It helps to have the finance to retain a relatively large squad, of course, but whereas other teams sometimes take a short-term view, Yorkshire’s management have wisely done the opposite. The amount of cricket doesn’t have to be an impediment to quality if coaches are able to rest key players.Discipline and trust
After the first day of the Middlesex game at Lord’s – the day the Championship was sealed – Jason Gillespie, the coach, suggested the players would and should celebrate and reiterated that there was no specific curfew imposed upon them. They are not children.But they are professionals. So woe betide any player who abuses that trust. As Ajmal Shahzad and Ollie Robinson found to their cost, any player that is not seen to embrace the work ethic or values of the club will be released. Even a player with as high a profile as Liam Plunkett was briefly suspended after his time-keeping let him down.It is a policy that encourages personal responsibility and maturity, and should encourage everyone involved to buy into the club ethos. Gillespie is clearly a huge part of this success and it is telling that the club have lost only three Championship matches in what is now almost four seasons since he joined.Backing their own
Of the 21 who have represented Yorkshire in the Championship this season – and remember Root, who is steeped in Yorkshire cricket, is not among them – 14 were either born in the county or developed through the county’s system.There is always going to be a place for bringing in players from outside and, in the likes of Brooks, and now David Willey, Yorkshire have recruited wisely. But while other clubs – and Nottinghamshire would appear to be an excellent example – seem reluctant to trust their young players and very ready to dip into the transfer market, Yorkshire have a policy of only doing so if it can add value. Even some of those brought back to the club – the likes of Sidebottom, Plunkett and Middlebrook – have roots in the county while the captain, Andrew Gale, is a man whose passion for the club is obvious.Jack Brooks has largely been kept for Championship cricket, where he is Yorkshire’s leading wicket-taker•Getty ImagesUtilising their resources
It was telling that, when Martyn Moxon, Yorkshire’s director of cricket, was asked what the key to this success was, one of the first things he mentioned was “the pathway” to the first team. By that he means the talent spotting, coaching and development conducted by clubs and coaches – many of them unpaid volunteers – around the region which feed into the Yorkshire youth teams.It has not always been that way. Yorkshire has always had a large catchment area; arguably the largest in the county game. But while there is much club cricket played in the region, there has not always been a pathway between schools, clubs and the first-class county. No doubt there is still work to do in this area, but Yorkshire have worked hard to improve their network in this regard. Where young talent was once lost to rival counties, now Yorkshire have first refusal on the next generation of players.Perhaps hosting games at Scarborough is important, too. By taking cricket to other areas of the county, the club are keeping the professional game relevant in areas where it could otherwise struggle for exposure. And with Mark Arthur, the CEO, visiting many local clubs to encourage them to support the side and to feel that they are contributing to its success, Yorkshire are reaping the rewards for their efforts to put the club back at the heart of the local community.Creating a culture
While the days of only selecting those born within the county borders have gone, echoes of that culture remains. Playing for Yorkshire still matters to this team. It still provokes pride. As a combination of many of the factors detailed above – of trusting young players, backing their own and tying into the wider club and school systems of the region – Yorkshire have created a culture where representing the club is a source of pride and where success is expected. Team spirit cannot be bought. It is formed by shared experienced and shared values. Yorkshire have understood that and forged a bond that has created a unit worth more than the sum of its parts. It is, very often, the secret of success in team sports.
