Yorkshire turn to 15-year-old Fisher

Yorkshire could turn to a 15-year-old for Sunday's Yorkshire Bank 40 meeting with Leicestershire as they struggle through an injury crisis.

Matthew Fisher, a right-arm seamer, has been named in the squad for the Scarborough fixture and, if selected will become the youngest post-war player to appear in a county competition at 15 years and 212 days.

Born in York, Fisher has developed through the Yorkshire age-group teams and plays for Yorkshire Academy in the Yorkshire Premier League, where his 25 overs this season have gone for 3.48 runs an over. He has also played for Yorkshire 2nd XI and took 6 for 25 earlier this week against Leicestershire - the second-best figures for Yorkshire in the 2nd XI trophy.

Fisher's call-up highlights Yorkshire's problems. They were forced to field a threadbare bowling attack last Sunday against Gloucestershire. Tim Bresnan is with England, Liam Plunkett and Jack Brooks have been injured and the workload Ryan Sidebottom and Steven Patterson have been forced to endure in the Championship meant they needed resting.

Teenage seamer Ben Coad was given a first-team debut against Gloucestershire and this Sunday, Fisher could follow suit. The 17-year-old allrounder Ryan Gibson is also in the squad but Plunkett has recovered from the thigh strain that has seen him miss the last two Championship matches.

"Matthew deserves his call up into the squad," Yorkshire first-team coach Jason Gillespie said. "We monitor the progress of all our players and the feedback I have received on the way Matthew has been playing has been excellent. He is very young, but he has the ability to be successful if he is selected on Sunday."

The youngest player to appear in a first-class match also turned out for Yorkshire when wicketkeeper Barney Gibson played against Durham MCCU at the age of 15 years and 27 days in April 2011.