Lawson gets leg up

The county does not go much on legspinners and has not picked one since Eddie (real name Edric) Leadbeater finished his career 48 years ago, so there was a buzz when Mark Lawson was selected in the squad for the Championship game at Essex. The 18-year-old from Yorkshire's Academy played in the Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh and impressed in the Colts XI last season, taking 11 for 119 against Glamorgan at Todmorden. David Byas, the director of cricket, says: "He's been bowling with good control and rhythm and he gives us an extra option. There aren't too many of his type around, particularly in Yorkshire."

Lawson will hope he is treated rather better than Leadbeater, now approaching his 77th birthday, who took 201 wickets in a seven-year career between 1949 and 1956 at just over 28 each. He played twice for England in the early 1950s but was never capped by his county and often omitted in favour of the left-arm spinner Johnny Wardle, such was the disdain for wrist spinners. He went on to play 27 games for Warwickshire, finishing with 289 at 27.49 apiece, and also took plenty of wickets in the Huddersfield League.

The last `leggie' to produce a match-winning performance for Yorkshire was John Hampshire, now a first-class umpire, who took 7 for 52 with his part-time twirl against Glamorgan at Cardiff in 1963 and described it as the most satisfying day of his cricketing life.

Moment of the month The return of Steve Kirby and Chris Silverwood.