Anthony McGrath: Consistency needed to turn promise into prizes
ANTHONY MCGRATH says Yorkshire must close the gap between the best and worst versions of themselves if they are to develop the consistency needed to win trophies.
The head coach believes Yorkshire have shown they are capable of producing cricket of the highest quality but admits the contrast between their best and worst performances has been wide.
Yorkshire face Championship leaders Somerset in their final home match of the season at Headingley from Tuesday, having already beaten them away from home.
Two of their four defeats in this year’s tournament have come against the bottom two clubs, Hampshire and Leicestershire, highlighting the issue.
“It’s been encouraging on the one hand but also frustrating with the opportunities that we’ve got ourselves into,” McGrath said.
“In one-day cricket and four-day cricket it’s been ‘shoulda, woulda, coulda’.
"We’ve been close, it’s not like we’ve been miles off.
“You’re talking one ball, two balls, a session sometimes, so they are fine margins, but that’s professional sport, and the frustration is that we know what we can do when we’re at our very best but when we’re at our worst, it’s not been great.
"We’ve got to kind of close that gap because the best teams in any sport find a way to win.”
Yorkshire are set to have a major say in the title race over the season’s final fortnight as they sign off with games against the top two sides. After this week’s clash they travel to Trent Bridge to face defending champions Nottinghamshire.
“Even though we’re not in the running ourselves, it’s going to be fun because those two teams are pushing for the title,” McGrath said.
“It’s a good yardstick of where we’re at because they have something to play for, and there’ll be no let-up from us and a lot of determination.”
Yorkshire are set to bid a fond farewell - or maybe an au revoir - to short-term overseas recruit Kuldeep Yadav.
The Indian spinner took the first 10-wicket haul of his career last week and both player and club would like to work together again should the chance arise.
Squad: Lyth, Luxton, Whiteman, Wharton, Revis, Bairstow (c), Hill, Bess, Coad, Cliff, Yadav, White.