Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Yorkshire’s general manager of cricket Gavin Hamilton.
Gavin Hamilton says signing overseas fast bowlers is the “absolute focus” of Yorkshire men’s winter recruitment.
The county’s general manager of cricket has given an update on additions to both the men’s and the women’s squads.
With the latter, Hamilton and head coach Rich Pyrah are very happy with where they’re at.
They have signed two spinners in Australian Jess Jonassen and England international Sarah Glenn, the former on a two-year overseas deal, in addition to Scotland seamer Hannah Rainey, who arrived initially on loan from Lancashire at the back end of the summer just gone.
“With the women’s squad, we’re very comfortable,” said Hamilton.
“We’ve made it clear that next season, we’re unlikely to be playing any second-team cricket. We’re not quite there yet.
“This will be our first season in Tier 1, and we want to focus very much on the first team and keep the momentum within the pathway that we built this year. We’re really keen to keep pushing our Academy girls over the next couple of years.
“Signings wise, it’s obviously pending injuries and things like that. But we’re really comfortable. I think we look strong in the senior squad, and we have some talented youngsters backing that up in the Academy.”
Hamilton continued: “Men’s wise, we’re not there yet. There was a bit of a loss with Matt Milnes going, Jordan Thompson as well and Jonny Tattersall.
“We’re very light in the bowling department, but we’re looking. Obviously, that’s where we’re going to have a huge focus in terms of overseas players.
“Anybody can see that to be able to compete in the Championship, you need to have seven or eight frontline seamers to rotate and rotate well. That’s our absolute focus.
“Batting wise, we are targeting someone to add into our top order.”
For the season just gone, Hamilton and Anthony McGrath signed eight overseas players in men’s cricket and fielded seven of them, with Indian batter Ruturaj Gaikwad pulling out of his deal at the last minute.
The vast majority of them came in for the short term.
Hamilton, however, is hoping things will be different in 2026.
“We’re trying to get in as early as possible on two quite long-term overseas players,” he added. “We’re trying to get away from four to five-week signings where possible.
“We want to build that continuity in all forms going forward.”