Pace trio are put to the test against students

The club will run the rule over their promising pace bowlers in a three-day game against Leeds-Bradford MCCU, starting today.

The fixture at Headingley Carnegie, which is designated as first-class, is being used by Yorkshire as a trial run for next Thursday’s County Championship match at home to Essex.

Specifically, it will help them better assess their pace bowling options after a below-par showing last week against Kent at Headingley.

Yorkshire – widely tipped to bounce straight back after Championship relegation – were unconvincing against Robert Key’s men.

They were forced to follow-on after allowing Kent to score 537-9 declared in their solitary innings – Kent’s highest total in the Broad Acres.

In a difficult game for Yorkshire’s pace attack, Iain Wardlaw returned 0-106 from 24 overs and Rich Pyrah 0-81 from 19 overs, with the latter also breaking his left hand – an injury set to keep him out for around six weeks.

Although Yorkshire emerged with a hard-fought draw, the match against the Leeds-Bradford students will give the likes of Steve Patterson and Oliver Hannon-Dalby the chance to press their claims for the Essex fixture, as well as provide Wardlaw with another opportunity to show what he can do.

“This game will be a good chance for some of our young pace bowlers,” said Yorkshire first team coach Jason Gillespie, who has opted to rest Ryan Sidebottom and Ajmal Shahzad, along with batsman/wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow and leg-spinner Adil Rashid.

“It was really difficult to pick the side for the first Championship game, and there were a few places that could have gone either way.

“Unfortunately, I can only put 11 on the park, and having the conversations with those players who missed out was tough but necessary.