Yorkshire arrange Sri Lanka trip for pre-season training

The club have announced a two-week tour starting on March 12 as they gear up towards their opening County Championship match against Somerset at Taunton on April 13.

Yorkshire, who will be based in Colombo, will play a two-day match and two Twenty20 games among themselves in the first week of the tour, with local first-class opposition set to provide an identical schedule in the second week.

Venues and dates will be confirmed shortly.

Martyn Moxon, Yorkshire’s director of cricket, said: “We will be playing and training at some of the best facilities in the country.

“A number of our players travelled to Sri Lanka last pre-season, for a specific training camp, and they returned full of praise for the place.

“It will be extremely hot in March and the players will work intensely on their skills both in the nets and in match situations.

“You cannot overstate the importance of pre-season, and we’ll reap the benefits of our efforts once the season gets under way.”

Yorkshire’s chief executive Mark Arthur commented: “Everyone at Yorkshire is looking forward to visiting Sri Lanka.

“We have worked closely with Sri Lanka Cricket to secure this opportunity to train and play in some of the best facilities on the sub-continent.

“Sri Lankan people are extremely knowledgeable about cricket and have a big passion for the sport, and I know that Yorkshire’s rich history is respected over there.

“It will be an exciting visit for both the players and staff and it will be good preparation for the team ahead of the 2014 season.”

Yorkshire are hoping to arrange a supporters’ tour if there is sufficient demand.

Anyone interested in travelling to Sri Lanka to support the team is asked to send their details to [email protected].

Yorkshire have extended the early bird discount for tickets to next summer’s Headingley Test against Sri Lanka. Fans can obtain a £5 discount off all tickets until the end of January for the match that starts on June 20.

Yorkshire have already sold 40 per cent of tickets for day one and over 60 per cent for day two.

The club have also sold over 70 per cent of tickets for the one-day international between England and India at Headingley on September 5. To buy tickets to Yorkshire’s international matches, visit http://tickets.yorkshireccc.com or call the Headingley ticket office on 0843 5043099.

South Africa are confident fast bowler Dale Steyn will be fit for next month’s series opener against Australia despite suffering a broken rib during the second Test against India.

Steyn is set to need up to four weeks to recover from the injury which he sustained while fielding on the opening day of the 10-wicket win over India in Durban.

Worcestershire fast bowler Alan Richardson has retired from the game with immediate effect to take up the post of bowling coach with Midlands rivals Warwickshire.

The 38-year-old from Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire has quit the first-class game following an 18-year career playing for Derbyshire, Warwickshire, Middlesex and Worcestershire.