County Cricket: Root relishing chance to seal title with Yorkshire

EngLand batsman Joe Root says he wants to win the County Championship for his team-mates as Yorkshire bid to clinch a first title for 13 years at Trent Bridge this week.
England regulars Gary Ballance and Joe Root are back on Yorkshire duty this week.England regulars Gary Ballance and Joe Root are back on Yorkshire duty this week.
England regulars Gary Ballance and Joe Root are back on Yorkshire duty this week.

Sheffield-born Root has been on England duty for much of the summer but he captains the side at Trent Bridge from today as Yorkshire bid to seal the LV County Championship title with a game to spare.

Yorkshire will win the title if they draw with Nottinghamshire - provided Notts do not take three more bonus points.

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Root, 23, who is standing in as captain for the banned Andrew Gale said: “I would be thrilled to bits if we go on and win the Championship.

“More than anything, I would be delighted for my team-mates. They have slogged their guts out week in, week out for Yorkshire throughout the summer.

“It’s not about me. The rest of the squad have played all season and have put in some fantastic performances to get us into this position.

“I hope we win it for them. You cannot underestimate the effort and work that has gone in by boys all season. They deserve to be champions, but there is still a lot of cricket to be played.”

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On his return to county cricket, Root added: “It is fantastic to be back with Yorkshire this week, I’ve missed the lads. They have played some terrific cricket this year and to get the opportunity to come back into the side and play with my mates in the last two games is exciting.

“I have had a very enjoyable season with England but there is something special returning to the Yorkshire dressing room. It is nice to be back involved with your mates and working towards lifting that County Championship title.

“It will be easy to settle back into the Yorkshire dressing room. I’ve played a lot of cricket with the majority of these guys over the past few years and I’m sure they’ll be very welcoming for me and Gary Ballance to come straight back in and it will almost feel like we’ve not left.”

Yorkshire (from): Lyth, Lees, Root (captain), Ballance, Bairstow, Leaning, Rashid, Bresnan, Sidebottom, Patterson, Brooks, Pyrah, Carver.