Yorkshire golf - YIDU review: Neil Stones eager for Sheffield to continue riding 'crest of a wave'

Stones revealed one of the reasons for the smooth transition after a change of leadership was his use of advice given by predecessors, including the 2015 captain Richard Hodgkinson and former captain and ex-Yorkshire champion Iain Mackenzie.

But he is keeping the precise details of the counsel he received close to his chest as he looks forward to his second year in the role.

“I got a couple of good tips from Iain McKenzie at the Sheffield annual dinner in 2015 when I sat on the legends table for guys who were getting honoured for over 100 caps,” says Stones. “Richard has been brilliant too and I really enjoyed my first year.

“I also had a few ideas of my own and it was nice that they worked out because you never know in sport. Things went our way fortunately – but I shan't be giving those secrets away that Iain and Richard gave me.”

Part of Stones's reluctance to go into detail is down to a need to retain every possible advantage as Yorkshire's seven other unions are using every means they can to end Sheffield's dominance, including propitious choice of venues when facing them at home.

“I think they are digging the depths of the courses to take us to, thinking, 'has nobody from the Sheffield team played it before and have we all played it several times?',” says Stones.

“That seems to be happening more and more frequently now. I have been playing for a long time and that is one development: the courses are more obscure that we get taken to. You talk to the lads and go round the locker room and say, 'have you played here?' and they just say no. But that's the challenge.”

Stones accepts it is a consequence of being the undoubted powerhouse within Yorkshire and recognises the advantage he has in being able to call on a larger pool of talent than his rivals.

“Our union is huge compared to everybody else and I hear stories of managers making 40 to 50 telephone calls for matches, which is incredible,” he says. “Luckily I don't have those problems.

“But being the biggest union and being expected to win brings its own challenges. The key as captain is trying to keep everybody happy because you need all those guys and that is one thing I have said right from the start.

“I started off with a 25-man squad and 21 have been used for the union (in 2016) and the number is growing. When I first started playing for Sheffield, a long, long time ago, you used to have 15 or 16 core players and those guys represented you all year. Nowadays you need a bigger squad and it is a challenge to keep everybody up for it and keep everybody happy.

“We have done it as a squad and I cannot thank all the guys enough really; that is the only way you can do it these days as there are so many events for the top players.

“Everyone has been pulling together and we are on the crest of a wave - and long may it continue. I have won things individually and this is far superior to anything you win individually, winning as a team.”

Sheffield's only defeat of the league season came in the first match, an emotionally-charged affair against York at Fulford just a couple of weeks after the hosts' captain Russ Chilton had died, at the age of 51.

“It was a terrible thing Russ dying, and golf is a very insignificant thing when things like that happen. It gives you a perspective,” concludes Stones.