Pace ace Conor McKerr wants to join Yorkshire CCC permanently in pursuit of regular cricket

Coming from Surrey, the county champions, those opportunities have been necessarily limited.

McKerr has played only 15 first-class matches for the club in seven years - and none at all for almost two years.

As he puts it, “the reality is they have the best bowling attack in the country”, adding that “I personally think they could go and play in the Test Championship and compete”.

High praise indeed. Surrey versus his native South Africa, anyone?

At 26, McKerr is at an age where he needs to be playing having shown his ability in all formats of the game.

Loan spells at Derbyshire, Kent and Nottinghamshire have been all well and good, and beneficial in the round, but now he is ready for something more lasting, having signed initially on a five-match loan deal for the Vitality Blast, subsequently extended to two County Championship fixtures, the last of them beginning against Derbyshire at Chesterfield next Sunday.

Asked whether he would like to join Yorkshire permanently, McKerr, who was recruited to help the club through an injury crisis that remains ongoing, albeit slightly less acutely, said: “Definitely. I’m at the age now where I need to be playing cricket, and this has been a great opportunity for me. The head coach ‘Gibbo’ (Ottis Gibson) has been really good to me, and the lads are really good.

"It’s quite a young side, which is helpful for me, because although I feel like I’ve been around for a long time, I’m only 26. I feel young as well, so that helps me fit in.”

Gibson, who hopes to have Ben Coad in the squad for Chesterfield after a back injury, is singing off the same hymn sheet when it comes to McKerr. The sense is of a coach who would also like the deal to become permanent.

“I think so, I think he’s a very good cricketer,” said Gibson. “I’ve always liked him; he adds a different dimension to the bowling attack that we have.

“He’s a big tall guy; he’s six foot six. He’s quite imposing. He’s got that physicality that you like to see in a fast bowler. He’s had some experience, and if the opportunity is there for us to keep him, then I’d certainly like to look at that.”

Gibson feels McKerr would benefit from a settled home. It is difficult for anyone who is in-and-out of the side, or moving around from county to county (McKerr has already represented more than 25 per cent of the 18 first-class teams).

“He’s been at Surrey for a long time, but he’s been loaned out here, there and everywhere,” added Gibson.

“If the opportunity presents itself that we can make this a permanent thing for him for a number of years, for him and his family, then why not?

“Dan Moriarty made the same journey (from Surrey to Yorkshire) and he’s done really well since he’s come up, and if we can do the same for McKerr, then that’s something we’ll look into. It’s been good to see him come here and perform.”

McKerr, whose best friend is Moriarty, the left-arm spinner, something he describes as “another big draw”, performed solidly enough in the T20 Blast, capturing two wickets in nine overs in his four appearances.

The tall right-armer, who represented South Africa at U19 level, was Yorkshire’s most successful bowler in the Championship victory against Gloucestershire at Scarborough, following first innings figures of 17.3-7-28-2 with a second innings return of 11.4-0-48-3, sealing victory with the final wicket as Yorkshire finally got their first Championship win on the board on June 25.

Not that McKerr believes that the spotlight should fall on himself.

He described victory as a true team effort, adding of the talent at Yorkshire that “these guys are ‘gun’… there’s some genuine ‘guns’ flying around this team”.

“I think every single one of us who bowled was awesome,” he added. “I don’t think anyone went higher than two-and-a-half runs an over in the first innings, and to do that on a ground like Scarborough, where you can score quickly, just shows how good and how disciplined we were.

“It wasn’t like one bowler blew everyone away and took a seven-for. Everyone chipped in with two or three wickets.”

And so to Chesterfield, where Yorkshire would really ignite a promotion charge with back-to-back wins.

“In all sport momentum is important,” said McKerr. “We will go into Sunday feeling really confident.

"We’re only halfway through the summer, and there’s a lot of cricket to be played, but if a team has the ability to pull a win like that off, it’s got the ability to win wherever it goes.”