Leaning unable to put finger on reason for trials

Jack Leaning admits to being bemused as to the cause of Yorkshires struggles in recent County Championship matches, which have led to three defeats in four matches (Picture: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com).

The 23-year-old has played his part in some towering T20 totals this year, with Yorkshire having posted their three highest scores in the format.

Yorkshire hit 233-6 against Worcestershire at Headingley, 227-5 against Nottinghamshire at Headingley, and 223-5 against Notts at Trent Bridge.

But seven of their 10 first innings totals in the Championship this summer have been less than 250, leaving Yorkshire to reflect on some Jekyll and Hyde form.

Asked to explain why Yorkshire’s batsmen have been blowing hot in T20 and cold in the Championship, Leaning replied: “You tell me.

“It’s just one of those things. Sometimes you get a few lads out of nick at the same time, and sometimes you don’t put the scores on the board that you’d like, and T20 is obviously a completely different game to Championship cricket where you can play with a hell of a lot of freedom and just try and whack it basically.

“Sometimes that does put you back into a bit of form, playing with that freedom, and, hopefully, at the back end of the season, it can help again with our Championship stuff. But I honestly don’t know. There’s obviously plenty of talent in the dressing room, and sometimes you don’t always click and get it right.”

Andrew Gale, the Yorkshire first-team coach, believes that the batsmen are struggling to cope with pressure and expectation in Championship cricket.

Yorkshire were strongly fancied again this summer for the title, but their hopes have effectively evaporated on the back of three defeats in four games.

Martyn Moxon, the club’s director of cricket, believes that the solution comes down to batsmen replicating in games what they are doing in practice.

He feels that they have been too tentative at times in matches, intensifying the pressure.

Leaning, already twice a Championship winner and a Cricket Writers’ Club Young Cricketer of the Year, insists that all anyone can do is keep working hard.

After several years of consistent success, the club find themselves in a position where, unless they win at least two of their remaining three T20 group games, starting with tonight’s Roses match at Headingley, their hopes of silverware this season are effectively over.

“Since I’ve been part of the first team we’ve rarely had a situation like this,” said Leaning, the only member of the Yorkshire top-six in last week’s Championship defeat to Essex who averages 30 this season in the four-day tournament.

“Every now and then you’re going to have a blip in form as a team, and we’re not the first team to have it and we won’t be the last. I’m sure we will bounce back in our last four Championship games of the season.

“It’s obviously not a welcome challenge, but it’s one we’ll take on and try to win those last four games.”

Before then, Yorkshire face a hat-trick of T20 fixtures that continue with tomorrow’s trip to Leicestershire and Thursday’s match against champions Northants at Headingley.

They are fifth in the table, two points outside the top-four qualifying places, and have already won three T20 games in a row this year before three straight defeats knocked them off top spot.

“The group is so tightly packed that anybody can still go through,” said Leaning, “and we could take a big step towards qualifying if we win against Lancashire.

“It’s one of the biggest games of the season, and with a full house at Headingley, it will be a pretty good place to bounce back if we can win with so many people behind us.

“The lads have been playing well in T20, and we came very close to winning all three of those matches that we recently lost. There’s only been maybe an over or two in the game that has let us down each time, and we’re certainly not a million miles away.”

Yorkshire have overseas player Shaun Marsh back tonight after he suffered concussion in the recent defeat to Derbyshire.

England pace bowler Liam Plunkett is fit after a hamstring injury, but Yorkshire remain without club captain Gary Ballance (broken finger).

It also has the air of a must-win game for Lancashire, who are in sixth position, level on points with Yorkshire but with an inferior run-rate. The stage is set for an intriguing contest.

Yorkshire (from): Bresnan (captain), Carver, Fisher, Kohler-Cadmore, Leaning, Lyth, Marsh, Patterson, Plunkett, Rafiq, Rashid, Sarfaraz, Willey.