Yorkshire begin life without Tim Bresnan

BOB WILLIS TROPHY PREVIEW: No Bresnan, no overseas stars and plenty of focus on Dawid Malan as the White Rose return to action in red-ball cricket

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Ins: Dawid Malan (Middlesex)

Outs: Tim Bresnan (Warwickshire), Josh Shaw (Gloucestershire), Jack Leaning (Kent), Karl Carver (released), Bilal Anjam (released), Matthew Taylor (released)

Fixture list: August 1 - Durham (a), August 8 - Nottinghamshire (a), August 15 - Derbyshire (h), August 22 - Lancashire (h), September 6 - Leicestershire (h)

Remind me what happened last year?

Yorkshire finished fifth in the County Championship after failing to capitalise on a good start. After drawing against Surrey in June, they were in contention having not lost any of their opening six.

But then their campaign began to unravel. They went on to lose four of their last eight including a humiliating 433-run defeat against Kent. It was a disappointing end to what could have been an exciting summer.

What’s happened since?

Overseas stars Ravichandran Ashwin and Keshav Maharaj were due to play red-ball cricket for Yorkshire this summer, but they have had their contracts cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Dawid Malan, however, is part of the squad. With 25 centuries and more than 11,000 runs to his name, there is no doubting Malan’s quality in first-class cricket. Yet a calf injury and the possibility of an England call-up may delay his debut.  

Yorkshire will want Malan available as much as possible as they have lost Jack Leaning to Kent and Tim Bresnan to Warwickshire. Bresnan’s move was a surprise as he was not supposed to be leaving until the end of the season, but whether he would have played red-ball cricket is questionable.

Finally, there has been a change in the captaincy during the winter. David Willey will now lead the T20 side, leaving Steven Patterson to focus on the Bob Willis Trophy. Yet Willey may be unavailable as he is in the England one-day squad.

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Who’s arrived and who’s left?

Malan is the only new face at Headingley, while Bresnan and Leaning are the biggest departures. Youngster Josh Shaw has joined Gloucestershire on a three-year deal and reserves Karl Carver, Bilal Anjam and Matthew Taylor have all been released.

Who will be the key men in 2020?

All eyes will be on Duanne Olivier. The 28-year-old, who quit South Africa to sign a Kolpak deal in 2019, is now two years into a three-year deal. After picking up just 43 Championship wickets at an average of 32.32 last summer, he will need to perform if he is to stay on a long-term basis.

There is also Ben Coad, who has 145 first-class wickets at just 20.98. Batting wise, Adam Lyth and Gary Ballance will continue to provide experience at the top of the order. Ballance has scored more than 3,000 first-class runs since the start of 2017.

Yorkshire will need youngsters Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Harry Brook to deliver in the absence of international quality. Kohler-Cadmore enjoyed a good 2019, scoring more than 1,000 first-class runs.

What can we expect from this team this season?

Yorkshire lack depth and their recruitment has been hit hard by the pandemic. With England call-ups possible, it is difficult to predict who will be available. Do not expect them to be lifting the Bob Willis Trophy.

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