Matt Milnes signs for Yorkshire CCC: Ottis Gibson on what Kent paceman will bring to White Rose attack

The county’s head coach said that pace bowler Milnes will provide greater cutting edge after recruiting the 28-year-old from Kent on a three-year deal.

Gibson is hoping that Milnes’s acquisition for next season and beyond – he will officially link up with Yorkshire in November – will be followed by further deals before the end of the campaign.

Yorkshire are about to lose three players in Steve Patterson, David Willey and Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Gibson’s focus is on the future.

“I was impressed with Matt when he played against us at Headingley earlier in the season and when I look at the squad that we have, it seems to me that he’s a little bit quicker than what we’ve got at the moment,” he said.

“He swings the new ball, takes wickets with the new ball, and I want to build a team that has a little bit more cutting edge, and I think he will provide that. He’s a good signing, and that’s one of perhaps a few more that we hope to get across the line before the end of the season.”

Milnes, who started his career with Notts, has played 44 first-class matches, taking 140 wickets. He has taken 59 wickets in 53 white-ball games.

Yorkshire have clearly seen something in him in terms of potential and Gibson said: “I remember watching a Hundred game last year and he was clocked at around 90mph, so he’s definitely got the potential to bowl quickly. I’ve had conversations with him and he says he has ambition; his ambition is to play for England and stuff like that.

“It excites me when a player at 28 is thinking that way and is prepared to work hard; he’s spoken about work ethic and stuff like that too. I’ve spoken to other people about Matt as well – lovely guy, lovely kid, loves to work hard, very talented bowler, and so on, so he’s a really exciting signing for us.”

Milnes said: “It was a tough decision (leaving Kent), but this feels like the right time to embrace a new challenge. I am excited by the prospect of joining Yorkshire and working with Ottis and his coaching staff. Hopefully, this will help me improve and push on to higher levels.”

Darren Gough, the Yorkshire interim managing director of cricket, described Milnes as “a top-quality player” who can be “a force”.