Brophy out to benefit by gloving new deal at Headingley

Not Gerard Brophy.

The Yorkshire wicketkeeper/batsman hopes his performances will earn him not only some well-deserved cash but a new contract.

Brophy, who turns 36 in November, will be out of contract at the end of the summer but is determined to play for as long as possible.

He is at an age when thoughts inevitably turn to life without cricket and the responsibilities of finding a “proper job”.

But there is just one problem.

Brophy is playing as well as at any stage in his career – and certainly keeping wicket as well as he has ever done – which begs the question: why should he call it a day?

“I want to keep on playing for as long as I can,” said Brophy, who signed from Northamptonshire in October, 2005.

“I think a lot of guys perhaps get to my kind of age and don’t have that drive, but I still have that hunger and want to achieve more.

“It’s an old cliché, but you’re a long time retired and although I’m mid-30s, I still feel young at heart and fit.

“I’d like to think I’ve still got plenty to offer and feel I’m playing better now than I ever have.”

Much interest will focus on whether Brophy or Jonny Bairstow is entrusted with the gloves at the start of the season.

Brophy kept wicket plenty of times last summer, but Bairstow, 21, is seen as the future.

There is no reason why Brophy and Bairstow cannot play in the same Championship side.

With star batsman Jacques Rudolph having left, Yorkshire need all the runs they can get from their top-order. “I think there’s perhaps an opportunity to reinvent myself as a cricketer this season,” said Brophy.

“Whether I get the gloves is not for me to say, but if Jonny gets them, I certainly think I can contribute in the batting department.

“With Jacques leaving, there’s a gap in the batting line-up and I’d like to think I could help to fill it.

“It’s a big target of mine to get 1,000 runs in a Championship season and, if I can score heavily, it will be to my benefit and also the team’s.”

Brophy’s batting ability is not in question. In 115 first-class games, he has scored 5,118 runs at 31.59.

In 112 List A fixtures he has made 1,992 runs at 27.28.

He has also played several explosive knocks in Twenty20 cricket and says: “I’ll bat wherever Yorkshire want me. I think I’m pretty versatile in that respect.

“I’ve opened for Yorkshire in the past but normally I’m happier in the middle order. But as long as I’m in the team, I’m not really bothered.”

If there is one criticism that can be levelled at Brophy, it is that he has managed only seven first-class hundreds.

“Scoring more hundreds is definitely something I can improve on,” he admitted.

“I’ve made lots of 70s, 80s and a few 90s but not pushed on as much as I’d like. I want to focus this year on trying to get more three-figure scores. I just need to be a bit more ruthless when I get a good start.”

Brophy’s comparatively small number of centuries is also explained by his attacking nature.

Not for him the painstaking hundred compiled over several hours; he has always had a natural inclination to go for his strokes. “Perhaps I’ve played a few more shots in the past than I should have done,” he conceded.

“At the same time, it’s also one of the plus points of my game that I’m able to change the momentum of a match pretty quickly. It’s all about finding the right balance.”

Brophy’s value to Yorkshire is emphasised by the fact he has been awarded a benefit.

“To be given a benefit is a great honour,” he said. “Obviously I’m not a Yorkshire guy, but I feel really accepted by the club and the members.

“When you come to Yorkshire as a non-Yorkshireman, I think there is a bit of extra pressure to perform.

“So to get this recognition is really magnificent because not too many non-Yorkshiremen have been awarded a benefit season by the county.”

In years to come, Brophy sees himself in the world of sports management and would like to set up his own business.

But the cricketing flame burns bright for now. “I love the thrill and competition of playing and I don’t think you can ever replace that,” he added.

“There’s nothing like cracking a boundary at Headingley in front of a big crowd and I want to keep going for as long as possible.

“It’s a big ambition of mine to win a trophy with Yorkshire and we’ve got a good chance of doing that this year.

“It won’t be easy without Jacques, but we’ve got a Test attack at full-strength and some great batters coming through, so we can have a very good season.”

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