From: Tim Emmott, Sovereign House, Harrogate.

After an overwhelming England test match win, Joe Root and Ben Stokes have resorted to national media to express their annoyance that Headingley does not now have another men’s test match until 2029.

There is background to this appalling situation. Contracts for the 2027 and 2028 test match grounds were awarded in June 2023. Negotiations between the Counties and the ECB took place in the 18 months prior to that point.

Sadly for Yorkshire members and Yorkshire region cricket lovers this was the period when Lord Patel and Stephen Vaughan were Chairman and CEO respectively. One was more focused on DEI, and neither had any in-depth experience in the Cricket world.

A general view at Headingley, Leeds. PIC: Mike Egerton/PA Wire

placeholder image — A general view at Headingley, Leeds. PIC: Mike Egerton/PA Wire

Indeed the latter subsequently spearheaded a desperate attempt to sell Headingley stadium for £23m to Mike Ashley to stave off insolvency, after many months of refusing to engage with Colin Graves on his several offers to rescue the club. The club was out of favour with the ECB at that time.

Fortunately, under Harry Chattli, as the next but one chairman, common sense prevailed and Colin Graves was invited to return. His far smarter executive team then negotiated the sale of the Hundred with net proceeds for Yorkshire CCC reportedly more than double the money the stadium might have been sold for.

Colin Graves has rescued Yorkshire Cricket Club twice from insolvency. This Yorkshire member believes that when Colin Graves is recommending that members should support the principle of demutualisation for the future financial welfare of the club, his ideas are surely worth listening to. With conditions.

The proposals must include Yorkshire members retaining a significant amount of the shares in the new entity. At a minimum, at least worth the equivalent of the £23m the stadium would have been sold for.