'As good a talent as I've seen': Yorkshire CCC tie rising batting star to long-term deal
YORKSHIRE boss Gavin Hamilton has heaped praise on batsman James Wharton, saying that “he’s as good a talent as I’ve seen” after the 23-year-old put pen to paper on a new three-year contract extension at Headingley.
Hamilton, the former Yorkshire, England and Scotland all-rounder, and now the club’s general manager of cricket, also suggested that international honours may not be too far away for a player whose new deal will keep him at the club until at least the end of the 2028 season.
“He’s as good a talent as I’ve seen, and it’s brilliant to have him,” said Hamilton.
“Anthony (McGrath, head coach) has said exactly the same. He’s a wonderful talent, and it’s just about nurturing that. I think he’s one full year in the first team away from getting much higher honours.”
Wharton, who turns 24 next month, continued his development last season.
He hit 285 in the final match of the campaign, against Northamptonshire at Headingley, when the club sealed County Championship promotion. It was the fifth-highest individual innings at Headingley, and the joint eighth-highest in Yorkshire’s history.
The Huddersfield-born right-hander, tall and powerful, struck 833 runs in the Championship all told - the second-best return behind Adam Lyth - and 1,196 across all competitions.
“It’s everything I’ve ever wanted to play for Yorkshire,” said Wharton. “For the club to give me this contract, it feels amazing.
“Personally, I’m really happy with how I went and we all went as a squad last season.
“We’re in a great place, but nobody is looking at themselves and saying, ‘I’ve cracked it’.”
Wharton continued: “At the end of the day, we’re going into Division One.
“It will be a different challenge, and we have to be better than what we were last year and in previous years.
"We have to be on top of our game.
“As a whole, we were really good last season.
"Getting back to Division One was the main aim, and we’re absolutely over the moon with that, and we are absolutely raring to go.
“We just want it to be April now, and we want to go and achieve more.”
Hamilton, who returned to the club towards the end of last year, added: “I saw ‘Wharts’ play a couple of the one-day games last year, and he really impressed me.
“He was in and out of the Championship team for obvious reasons, the England lads being back at the start.
“He’s a really tall lad with such a presence at the crease.
“Him taking this three-year contract is reflective of what we think of him as a person and player and how far we think he’s going to go.”