Yorkshire seek seaside shuffle to play host to Hampshire

The organisations are busily thrashing out details following the publication today of the 2012 fixture list.

At present, it has been agreed that three matches will be staged at the famous outground:

A Twenty20 game against Nottinghamshire on Sunday, June 24.

A CB40 match against Warwickshire on Monday, August 27.

A County Championship game against Gloucestershire from Tuesday, August 28 to Friday, August 31.

However, Yorkshire are contracted to take 10 days’ cricket to Scarborough each summer and discussions are taking place over a Championship match that has yet to be allocated.

Yorkshire play Hampshire from Wednesday, May 16 to Saturday, May 19 and the club have offered that game to Scarborough.

However, Scarborough prefer to stage Championship matches in the school holidays and an agreement has yet to be reached, although Yorkshire say their hands are tied over possible alternatives.

Richard Kaye, Yorkshire’s sales director, explained: “In an ideal world, Yorkshire would want to take two Championship matches over to Scarborough during the holidays. Unfortunately, the fixture list doesn’t allow us to do that without starving Headingley of cricket.

“We’re just trying to work out the details before confirming them publicly.

“The discussions with Scarborough are all very amicable and we hope to have everything concluded in the next few days.”

Yorkshire have been handed only one Championship match at Headingley in July/August.

The only other home Championship game during that period is the one against Gloucestershire at Scarborough that falls during the festival.

It seems likely agreement will be reached for the Hampshire match to be staged at Scarborough.

Yorkshire also have a home game the day after the Hampshire fixture, against Derbyshire in the CB40, which is also unallocated.

The other home match still to be allocated is a CB40 game against Unicorns on August 12, while the venue for Yorkshire’s away fixture at the Unicorns on May 27 has yet to be determined.

The Yorkshire Post understands that game will be played at Wormsley in Buckinghamshire or at a venue within Yorkshire.