“Something special”: Anthony McGrath makes bold Yorkshire claim in County Championship
YORKSHIRE head coach Anthony McGrath believes his side can still win the County Championship despite sitting eighth in the table as they return to red-ball action at Hampshire on Thursday.
Only 27 points separate Yorkshire from leaders Nottinghamshire going into the final six games, and McGrath believes five wins would put them in the mix.
“I believe we can still win the Championship if we win five of the last six,” he said. “As I’ve said to the players, let’s be really excited about the last six weeks, because we could do something special.
“And, while we’ve mathematically got a chance, with the players we’ve got coming back from The Hundred as well, you never know. There’s still a lot to play for.”
Yorkshire will be boosted by the return of captain Jonny Bairstow and all-rounder Matty Revis from the 100-ball competition for the game at the Utilita Bowl. It is a key match against the side directly below them in the table - one followed by next week’s fixture against bottom club Leicestershire at Scarborough.
Two wins against the teams currently occupying the relegation places could significantly improve Yorkshire’s position as they chase their first four-day trophy since 2015. They end their season with games against Surrey at The Oval, Essex and Somerset at Headingley, and Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.
“It all starts with Hampshire,” added McGrath. “We know where they are in the table at the minute, and also Leicester. We know that if we can beat them we’re going to be in a good position. If we don’t, we’re probably going to be dragged the other way, so it’s really important that we start this block well.”
It is so long since Yorkshire last played a Championship match that it almost belongs to a different epoch. They lost by an innings and 39 runs to Leicestershire at Grace Road on June 21, since when they have played solely white-ball cricket.
It was a result that continued a curious red-ball campaign to this point, one that has alternated between the dazzling and disappointing. Heavy defeats against Hampshire at Headingley and Warwickshire at Edgbaston - to go with the Leicestershire loss - have been offset by fine wins over Somerset at Taunton and Surrey at Headingley, the latter by an innings.
A record of two wins, three draws and three defeats from eight matches highlights the inconsistency, but no side has run away with the league this year; second-placed Somerset, for example, have won three, lost two and drawn three themselves.
“The league’s very tight,” said McGrath. “Everyone’s still got to play everyone else, and there’s loads of points up for grabs.
“That’s why it’s really important that we start well at Hampshire. I think this time last year we were completely out of it, but there’s still pretty much half a season left in terms of games.”
Yorkshire’s return to action comes less than a week after their disappointing exit from the One-Day Cup, when they lost to Nottinghamshire at York in the quarter-finals. It left McGrath with the task of picking up the troops.
“There was a lot of disappointment around but, as was the case after the T20 quarter-final (defeat to Somerset), we’ve no other option but to keep going,” he added. “We certainly can’t skulk around feeling sorry for ourselves.
“There’s some tired bodies around at this stage of the season, but everyone around the country is in the same position.
“We obviously don’t want to look too far ahead, but mine and the group’s confidence is that we’ve got to look up and we’ve got to believe we can win every game.”
Yorkshire (from): Bairstow (captain), Bean, Bess, Bepey, Chohan, Cliff, Coad Hill, Lyth, Luxton, Revis, Sylvester, Wharton, Whiteman.