'They're the template of how to run a county...'
Tuesday 5 April 2016 10:05, UK
With Yorkshire pursuing a third straight County Championship title, David Lloyd looks at the team's key strengths...
Yorkshire's success doesn't surprise me one bit.
I did the voiceover for the Cricketing Yorkshire show we ran on Sky Sports last summer, and you could see how well run they are - they're the template of how to run a county.
Keeping Gillespie
It was a huge moment for Yorkshire when England decided to give the head coach job to Trevor Bayliss because it meant they got to keep Jason Gillespie as their head coach.
While I believe Yorkshire would have found a suitable replacement, Gillespie's senior management partnership with Martyn Moxon ensures the club is terrifically well run and his departure would have massively affected the team.
Had Gillespie gone, they would have lost three coaches in a quick space of time, after Paul Farbrace and Richard Dawson left for England and Gloucestershire respectively.
Gillespie encourages the players to challenge themselves; he stretches them and makes them take pride in what they do.
Investing in youth
Yorkshire certainly work their academy. They test the youngsters, and don't just put them in for a game before taking them out again. The squad is consistently depleted by international call-ups, but they don't moan about it, they just get on with it.
That gives lads like Will Rhodes and Jack Leaning a chance alongside a smattering of high-quality overseas players - they had Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell last season and they'll have Kane Williamson this year.
I like the fact that the younger players are given responsibility and told 'it's down to you'. Leaning, in particular, produced in 2015, scoring three hundreds and three fifties in first-class cricket.
Even someone like 18-year-old Matt Fisher is learning very quickly; he isn't a real fixture in the Championship side yet, but has had to bowl at the death in one-day cricket, in high-pressure situations.
Best bowling
You need a good bowling attack to win the County Championship and Yorkshire have strength in spades in that department.
Jack Brooks leads the attack very well, and they have two outstanding senior players in Ryan Sidebottom and Tim Bresnan.
They have come through the system and are Yorkshire through and through, so they are great role models to help guide those younger lads along, and ensure they keep their feet on the ground.
Steve Patterson is an unsung player, but equally vital to what they do and they have a quality spinner in Adil Rashid.
They've also got David Willey coming in, too, but Sidebottom might very well be saying 'hang on a minute, wait until I have finished!' There is real competition for places.
Historical hunger
There was the Surrey team of the 1950s that won seven in a row, but Yorkshire have had periods, too, where they have dominated - the Len Hutton era pre-war and then Brian Close and Ray Illingworth's time in the 1960s.
There is that respect for those that have played previously and a tremendous pride among the players about who they represent.
I know for a fact that Yorkshire ensure that their young players coming into the team know the history of the club - they're now the custodians of the game and, in future years, someone else will come in and take their place.
They've achieved back-to-back titles now but you can guarantee the club will be saying 'go out and do it again, lads'.
