Blow for Yorkshire as Jack Brooks lines up Somerset move

Yorkshire could be set to lose another player with Jack Brooks understood to be in talks with Somerset.

Yorkshire have already seen Liam Plunkett join Surrey and look destined to lose Adil Rashid and perhaps Alex Lees as well. Durham are the only club to publicly express an interest in Rashid at this stage, though others are sure to follow, while Glamorgan and Durham could both be interested in Lees.

As a key member of the Yorkshire side that won the Championship title in 2014 and 2015, Brooks has enjoyed a fine spell at Yorkshire and is understood to have been offered a new contract. But he has also emerged as a prime target of Somerset, and Yorkshire clearly face a struggle to keep him.

There is some better news for the club who are understood to have emerged as favourites to sign Ben Duckett from Northants.

Meanwhile Warwickshire, who are set to announce the signing of Liam Norwell within days, are understood to be interested in Ben Raine. The Leicestershire all-rounder is not out of contract until the end of 2019 but has a release clause in his contract that allows him to join a Division One county if required. Warwickshire are currently top of the Division Two table and favourites to achieve promotion at the end of the season. Raine thrashed a 41-ball century against them last month.

While another departure of a good player from one of the smaller clubs to a Test match ground may cause concerns in the game, both Leicestershire and Worcestershire remain confident they can retain the services of Zak Chappell and Joe Clarke respectively despite interest from several other counties. Both are understood to have been offered decent deals by their current clubs.