Roses test a good yardstick of how far we’ve come says Yorkshire boss McGrath
ANTHONY MCGRATH believes arch rivals Lancashire will provide a litmus test of how much his Yorkshire side have improved in T20.
McGrath’s men have made a strong start to the tournament, winning three of their first four games to go four points clear at the top of the North Group.
Now they face a Lancashire outfit who have made 10 Finals Day appearances to Yorkshire’s three, and who were beaten semi-finalists in last year’s competition.
“I think it’s really important to put in a good performance because if you look at the northern group as it was, Lancashire have probably been the most consistent side along with Warwickshire over the last few years,” said McGrath, the Yorkshire head coach.
“They got to Finals Day last year so I think it’s good for us as a squad to see where we are, and actually how much we’ve improved from last year really.
“I think it’s a game that everyone looks forward to but this year, with how we’re going, it probably makes it more important.
“It’s important, clearly, to all of the fans and hopefully we can put on another good show.”
Friday’s match at Headingley (7pm start) is moving towards a sell-out as Yorkshire look to build on wins over Notts, Derbyshire and Durham before defeat at home to Gloucestershire on Sunday.
It is a cliche to say that fans can be something of a 12th man on these occasions but they can certainly play a part in what are always high-octane affairs.
“I think we know when Headingley is at its best in terms of the noise it's difficult for away teams to operate,” said McGrath.
“Having said that, it’s our job to really get the fans on side and to give them something to cheer on the night.
“If you can start well and put the opposition under pressure at Headingley, then it can be quite hostile, particularly from the Western Terrace part of the ground.
"It should be a cracking atmosphere and everyone's looking forward to it.”
This will be the 40th meeting between Yorkshire and Lancashire in T20 (discounting abandonments).
The Red Rose have the edge with 20 wins to Yorkshire’s 16, with three matches tied.
Yorkshire have won 11 of the 20 games at Headingley, including two of the last three.
They lost last year’s fixture by 21 runs a few days after producing what McGrath considered to be one of their best displays of the season when they won the reverse contest at Old Trafford by 19 runs, Jonny Bairstow scoring a brilliant hundred and Will Luxton 90.
“These games always feel special,” added McGrath. “On a personal level, playing here for a number of years and then coming back last year to experience the Roses again as a coach, it’s something that I certainly relish.
“Away at Old Trafford was probably our best performance last year, and then I thought we bowled really well in the game at Headingley but just couldn't chase down the runs in the end. Hopefully, we can get on the right side of it this time.”
Yorkshire are only a third of the way through the group stage but have already shown enough to suggest they could be serious contenders this summer.
The new signings have blended in well and the hard work behind the scenes has paid off so far, with the club keen to arrest a disappointing record in the competition.
“Through the winter we did quite a bit of work on the incomings and changes we thought we needed to make,” said McGrath.
“It doesn't always translate onto the pitch and results straight away, but I think the way we've started has been encouraging.
“To win three on the bounce is not easy in this comp at any stage, and although it was obviously disappointing to lose on Sunday, we’ve performed well overall.
“It’s a positive start and the challenge now is to build on that against a very good Lancashire team - and then again on Sunday when we take on Leicester before we go back into the Championship stuff for a couple of weeks.”
McGrath feels Yorkshire probably need to win seven of their 12 group games to guarantee passage to the knockouts.
That means winning four of their remaining eight, their excellent start giving them room for error.
“I think seven wins would probably get us through, although it could be that six wins is enough,” he added.
“It’s the first time with this format that you also play teams from outside your group, and if you beat a team from another group that can actually get you an extra way up the table because that other team isn’t gaining points on you in your group.
“It’s a tricky one to judge. I think if we can go into the Championship stuff with another win under our belt, and hopefully two, that puts us in a really strong position.”
Yorkshire could field an unchanged team but Lancashire are without Jos Buttler, who is resting after the IPL; Phil Salt, who has a finger injury, and the Australian all-rounder Chris Green, whose overseas deal has been ended by a broken thumb.
Yorkshire (from): Bairstow (captain), Hasan Ali, Moeen Ali, Ashraf, Bess, Chohan, Cliff, Luxton, Lyth, Moriarty, Revis, Tye, Vagadia, Wharton.
Lancashire (from): Jennings (captain), Aspinwall, Balderson, Barnard, Harris, Hartley, Hurst, Jones, Livingstone, Mahmood, McDermott, Moores, Singh, Wood.