England have yet to make Gillespie approach

Former Australia fast bowler Gillespie is set to take over as England head coach from the sacked Peter Moores.

Gillespie is to be given the job by England’s new director of cricket Andrew Strauss in time for the Ashes in early July.

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But as ex-Yorkshire second team boss Paul Farbrace prepares to take charge for the two-Test series against New Zealand, Moxon confirmed that Yorkshire have not yet received a request from England to talk to Gillespie.

“As yet, nothing official has happened,” said Moxon, the county’s director of cricket, as Hampshire reached 223-8 in reply to Yorkshire’s 370 on day two of the County Championship game at Headingley. “As far as we’re concerned, we want to allow Jason to focus and concentrate on what are very important games for Yorkshire currently and the T20 Blast tournament starting on Friday, which is a competition that we want to do well in.

“As much as possible, we want to allow Jason to focus on that.

“If anything comes from England, we will have to deal with it as and when.”

Moxon, who assumed his current role when Gillespie was appointed first-team coach in 2011, could potentially revert to his former position should the Australian leave.

Gillespie essentially took over the running of the first team along with captain Andrew Gale with support from Moxon, who oversees all cricketing matters at the county.

Moxon could take sole charge of the first XI again – possibly until a new first-team coach is appointed.

No one would be more qualified than Moxon to steer Yorkshire through the choppy waters created by Gillespie’s departure, and the former opening batsman is not surprised that his friend and colleague is favourite for the job.

“Jason is understandably being linked with the England job,” said Moxon. “Clearly he has had a massive impact on the club and on the team, and he is very, very highly thought-of by us.

“There is obviously a lot of speculation going on at the moment. Jason has been linked with so many jobs lately that I’m fully expecting the Labour party to get in touch with us.”

On a more serious note, it is as difficult to keep a coaching team together these days as it is to keep together a cricketing one, with Yorkshire hit harder than any other county by England call-ups.

Farbrace left Headingley in December 2013, and Richard Dawson, his replacement as second XI coach, left earlier this year to become head coach at Gloucestershire.

“It is frustrating,” said Moxon. “Losing Paul to international cricket was a blow, as was losing Richard.

“We’ve had a little bit of disruption in recent years but, for want of a better phrase, we’ve had to reinvent ourselves and we’ve managed to do that.”

The principal business at hand for Yorkshire at present is the pursuit of a second Championship win of the season, and they are well-placed at halfway.

After Yorkshire resumed on 333-7, the hosts claimed a fourth batting point before being bowled out on the stroke of midday.

Tim Bresnan added five to his overnight 23 before being caught at third slip off James Tomlinson, while Jack Leaning added five to his overnight 77 before being trapped lbw by the same bowler.

Leaning (749) has scored more runs in his first 20 Championship innings than the aggregates achieved at the same stage by county colleagues Alex Lees (736), Adam Lyth (645), Gary Ballance (617), Jonny Bairstow (594) and Joe Root (590). The 21-year-old is in good company indeed.

Jack Brooks was the last man to fall, the pace bowler superbly caught by debutant wicketkeeper Lewis McManus.

Tomlinson returned 4-86, while Andre Adams chipped in with 3-68.

Liam Dawson was dropped twice off Brooks inside the first four overs of the Hampshire reply – once by Leaning at third slip and once by Lyth at second – before Bresnan trapped Sean Terry for a duck. Dawson and Michael Carberry added 75 before Dawson was held at third slip by Leaning off Will Rhodes.

Brooks took two in two balls when James Vince offered no stroke and Will Smith edged to Lyth at second slip, giving Brooks his 250th first-class wicket.

Carberry went on to 97 before sweeping Adil Rashid to deep mid-wicket to end a stand of 86 with Sean Ervine, who pulled Brooks to deep fine-leg in the next over.

Rashid had Gareth Berg caught at slip and Adams – slogging witlessly – held at point to put the seal on Yorkshire’s day.

DISPLAY OF THE DAY

JACK BROOKS took 3-55 from 17 overs.