Fisher and Gibson get further taste of YB40

Ballance is back after missing last week’s County Championship match against the same opponents at Lord’s with a virus, along with the subsequent YB40 game against Gloucestershire at Bristol.

Patterson also returns after Yorkshire opted to rest 18-year-old pace bowler Will Rhodes from the 40-over competition, with Rhodes set to play Twenty20 cricket for Yorkshire’s second XI against Lancashire at Marske today along with off-spinning all-rounder Azeem Rafiq.

Rafiq is stepping up his recovery after a knee injury with a view to returning for Yorkshire’s opening T20 Cup home match against Derbyshire tomorrow week.

Matthew Fisher, the 15-year-old who became the youngest to play in a competitive county match when he made his debut against Leicestershire at Scarborough earlier this month, will play his second YB40 game today.

He is joined by 17-year-old pace bowler Ryan Gibson, who also debuted in that fixture.

“We will give Ryan Gibson and Matthew Fisher more opportunities to play in the YB40 and they will enhance their skills playing against some outstanding players on Thursday,” said Yorkshire’s first-team coach Jason Gillespie.

“Gary Ballance returns after recovering from a virus. He trained well on Wednesday and is ready.”

Yorkshire can no longer qualify for the semi-finals having lost six of their opening seven games. However, Middlesex – who have won three from six – still have a chance of progress.

Yorkshire (from): Ballance, Coad, Fisher, Gale (captain), Gibson, Lyth, Hodd, Hodgson, Patterson, Pyrah, Rashid, Sayers, Wardlaw.