Yorkshire: Byas seeks bright start to lift winter depression (15 April 1998)

15 April 1998

Yorkshire: Byas seeks bright start to lift winter depression

By Charles Randall

THE February edition of White Rose, Yorkshire's magazine, was especially poignant because the cover pictures were devoted to David Bairstow, the county's much respected former wicketkeeper, who was found dead at his home during the winter.

In the editor's tribute, John Featherstone mentioned Bairstow's passion for cricket. "His death certainly brings home the importance of not taking things for granted," he wrote. By the time members received their magazine, Featherstone himself had died, collapsing at a football match.

The editor's post held by the gentle, lovable Featherstone has gone to Jim Greenfield, a journalist, but his job as Headingley's public address announcer has not yet been filled.

The announcer's job requires heavy commitment for a small stipend, which would suit a retired person with, as Chris Hassell phrased it, "a good voice and a feel for cricket".

Hassell, Yorkshire's chief executive, has had to look back as well as forward in a winter burdened by these sad events, with the added distraction of the ongoing negotiations with Paul Caddick, effectively Headingley's owner, over the ground's future as Yorkshire's headquarters.

Development plans, still confidential, are being assessed and a Yorkshire move to Wakefield seems to become less likely as each month passes.

Yorkshire elected a new chairman in Keith Moss, another former policeman after his predecessor Sir Lawrence Byford, now an active president. Amid various committee changes, Brian Close lost his place and was made an honorary life member.

This off-field background has given a feeling of instability and Martyn Moxon's retirement to become director of coaching leaves David Byas, the captain, without one of his backbone players.

Yorkshire have their smallest squad for many years - only 16 - and Darren Lehmann, their successful batsman, is likely to miss the first two County Championship matches, owing to Australia duties.

The departure of Richard Kettleborough and Alex Morris, two useful left-handers, to other counties has left Yorkshire short of back-up in the batting.

Any weakness in runmaking can be camouflaged if their bowling attack performs to potential, but there are question marks over all their bowlers.

Chris Silverwood has been prevented by Angus Fraser's brilliance from advancing his England career in the West Indies and Darren Gough has to prove his fitness, having been replaced by Silverwood on the tour.

Craig White has had a shoulder operation and many Yorkshire followers will be following closely the fortunes of Paul Hutchison, the young player who announced himself to first-class cricket last summer with 20 wickets in his first two matches, against Pakistan A and Hampshire.

However, Hutchison, 20, a left-arm seam bowler of intriguing ability, did not fare so well against the stronger county batsmen and, not surprisingly, during the England A tour on Sri Lanka's slow pitches.

When the players return next week from their pre-season warm-up in Cape Town, many bowling doubts will no doubt be shelved but it is unlikely Yorkshire will improve on the sixth place achieved in each of the past two championship seasons.

Before their eighth place in 1995, Yorkshire finished 10th or worse in the previous seven seasons, so Byas at least has had the satisfaction of improvement. Their one-day aspirations have been consistently undermined by below-par performances on the big occasions.

Yorkshire rose to third last September, 18 points behind the leaders with two games remaining, but their tense, entertaining draw against Kent ended any hopes of their highest finish since their runners-up season in 1975.

Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)