Yorkshire CCC signs Dutch overseas star
YORKSHIRE have moved to fill the gap left by the departures of Jordan Thompson and Matt Milnes by signing Logan van Beek, the 35-year-old Dutch international, for the first eight games of the County Championship season.
Van Beek, a pace bowling all-rounder who is in his country’s squad for the forthcoming T20 World Cup, will also be available for what the club has described as “the first part of the Vitality Blast”.
He will strengthen resources after Yorkshire lost all-rounder Thompson to Warwickshire and pace bowler Milnes to Kent at the end of last season.
He is the club’s first Dutch men’s player and the second Dutch international on the current Yorkshire staff after Sterre Kalis, the women’s batter.
“I’m delighted to be arriving at Headingley in what is a crucial block of fixtures,” said van Beek in a club statement.
“It’s so important that we start the season positively and I’m raring to go.
“Yorkshire are on an upward trajectory, and the opportunity to work with the coaches and the team is one that really excites me.”
Van Beek’s story is an interesting one.
Born and raised in Christchurch, New Zealand, he holds a Dutch passport courtesy of his paternal grandparents, who moved to New Zealand in the 1950s.
His maternal grandfather, Sammy Guillen, was a wicketkeeper-batsman who played five Tests for West Indies in 1951-52 before also moving to New Zealand and playing three Tests for the Kiwis against the West Indies.
In the last of those games, at Auckland in 1956, Guillen was a member of the side that achieved New Zealand’s inaugural Test win after 26 years and at the 45th attempt.
He top-scored with 41 in the second innings and stumped last man Alf Valentine to complete the victory, sparking jubilant scenes at the Eden Park ground.
Guillen, who died in Christchurch in 2013, aged 88, is one of only 17 men to have played Test cricket for two countries, a list that includes two Yorkshire players in Frank Mitchell (a batsman who represented England and South Africa in the late-19th/early-20th century) and Gary Ballance (the former England and Zimbabwe batsman).
Van Beek, a six-footer who played cricket for New Zealand at U19 level and also basketball before deciding to prioritise cricket, made his debut for Netherlands at the T20 World Cup in 2014.
He took 3-9 in a memorable win over England in that competition in Chattogram.
His most famous performance came in 2023, when he helped to prevent West Indies from qualifying for the 50-over World Cup for the first time.
In a qualifying match for that competition in Harare, van Beek struck a quickfire 28 from the No 8 position to help the Dutch tie the game with both sides totalling 374.
In the subsequent Super Over, he struck Jason Holder for 30 runs (three sixes and three fours) and then captured two wickets to seal the triumph.
Van Beek has played 64 times for the Dutch, taking 46 wickets in 33 one-day internationals at 35.04, and 36 wickets in 31 T20 internationals at 19.38.
He started out playing in New Zealand for Canterbury, before switching to Wellington in 2017. He also has plenty of county cricket experience.
Yorkshire will be his fourth stop after spells with Derbyshire in 2019 and 2021, Worcestershire in 2023 and 2024, and Leicestershire last season, for whom he took 34 wickets in 13 Championship games at 35.64 to help them to the Second Division title.
During his career, van Beek has taken 289 wickets in 101 first-class appearances at an average of 31.12, with 10 five-wicket hauls, and 206 T20 wickets in 192 matches at 24.74.
He also has two first-class hundreds to his credit, with a best of 111 not out for Canterbury against Otago in 2015.
Gavin Hamilton, the Yorkshire general manager of cricket, said: “Logan is a player with international experience who adds huge value with both bat and ball.
“Such experience is always important but can be even more vital in the early stages of any season.
"His track record in the County Championship is also proven.
"We’re also delighted that he will be remaining with us for the first part of the Vitality Blast.
“Logan has a great attitude, and I know he will be a superb fit within our squad this year.”
Van Beek is Yorkshire’s fourth confirmed signing of the winter.
Sam Whiteman, the Doncaster-born batsman from Western Australia, has signed a three-year all-format deal as a local player; Andrew Tye, the Australian pace bowler, has signed for two years in the Blast, and Naveen-ul-Haq, the Afghanistan quick, for this year’s Blast.