Yorkshire CCC promoted: Return to Division One a good start, now for the hard bit - Chris Waters

One could see what it meant to the players, the coaches and the backroom staff – to all of the club staff, indeed – when promotion was clinched at Headingley on Saturday.

After four years of intense difficulty and off-field scrutiny, there was a real feeling to the celebrations, a sense of release as the beverages flowed (perhaps a few too many considering that Yorkshire batted on to 726-7 declared the following day instead of trying to win their final match).

Putting down my own foaming tankard – if only for a second – it is right to congratulate Ottis Gibson, the departing head coach, and the players on their achievement. Granted, it was not unexpected given that the club had been tipped by every major bookmaker to go up, a target achieved when five wins in the last seven games secured second place.

But (incoming cliches alert) there are no easy games and you can only beat the opposition in front of you, something which Yorkshire did when it mattered after going winless in their first seven fixtures.

Now comes the hard bit for the players and for Gibson’s replacement – making Yorkshire a real force in Division One. On paper, they have many of the ingredients but perhaps not all just yet; Matthew Fisher will not be easily replaced, the pace bowler who is leaving for Surrey, with the bowling department in need of reinforcement.

Perhaps an overseas pace bowler would help, or an overseas pace bowling all-rounder, a Michael Neser-type figure. But the squad looks good enough to compete and, with one or two intelligent signings, do better than just compete and challenge strongly.

Batting-wise, Yorkshire seem solid, despite the absence of England’s Joe Root and Harry Brook. It is not known how much they will see of Jonny Bairstow next year, but Adam Lyth is still scoring runs at the age of 37, while Fin Bean and James Wharton have emerged to boost the top-four. How Bean and Wharton adapt to the step up in class will be fascinating, and both have a real chance to showcase at the higher level.

If he is not scoring runs, then it’s a fair bet that George Hill will be taking wickets, one of several fine all-rounders to go with the existing attack led by the absurdly consistent Ben Coad.

Spin-wise, Dom Bess reasserted himself in the season’s closing weeks, a man with so much to offer – not least with the bat. A personal view is that Yorkshire should also be trying to give as many chances as possible to young Jafer Chohan, the leg-spinner who impressed in T20.

When Yorkshire last won the title there was a little genius called Adil Rashid in the line-up. Chohan has huge shoes to fill in comparison, but he is the type of attacking option that champions need, an X-factor to take the pressure off Coad and the rest; so, get him in somehow, back him and let’s see what he can do.

The question of the captaincy is intriguing: Shan Masood is a lovely guy and a fantastic batsman but, if he comes back, should he be captain? Jonny Tattersall, who led the side over the line in his absence, is an extremely strong candidate.

Amid the galaxy of talent that Yorkshire had 10 years ago, Andrew Gale was not the standout name in that particular team, but he was the most successful captain Yorkshire have had since the 1960s.

Given his understated nature, it is perhaps easy to underestimate Tattersall, but there is a Gale-type steeliness about him, something that inspires and motivates others.

One feels a bit for Gibson, an outstanding bowling coach who was in his first job as a county head coach. His record prior to the run that led Yorkshire to promotion was no wins in 30 of his 34 Championship matches which, in turn, led to relegation. On that basis, no one could quibble with Yorkshire’s decision to move on; at the same time, it is right to recognise that he had a lot to contend with.

It always felt, to this pen at least, that Gibson had taken on something of a doomed project when he came to the club, one which ended on a happier note for him, although his disappointment to be going was understandable. One wishes him well; the club, with a heavy heart, believes itself best served by making the change, and, as ever, the proof of the pudding will be in the eating.

Off-the-field, there is still much happening – Yorkshire’s quest to demutualise, the sale of The Hundred franchises (including Headingley-based Northern Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious), and the various financial aftershocks arising from cricket’s worst crisis.

But promotion is a step in the right direction, so let us recharge our tankards and dream sweet dreams of April. Cheers.