Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Anthony McGrath has been speaking about the Melbourne training camp, which begins this week.
Anthony McGrath believes Yorkshire’s forthcoming training camp in Melbourne will give his players a real head start heading into the new summer.
Bowling coach Mick Lewis, who is based in the Victorian city and has strong links to the state side, will lead a camp which will see more than a dozen men’s players link up for a month of training. McGrath has described it as a “pre pre-season tour”.
Ben Cliff, Harry Duke, Noah Kelly, Will Luxton, Dan Moriarty and Owen Smith are all currently in Melbourne playing grade cricket, and Dom Bess, Ben Coad and George Hill will lead a group joining them.
Those travelling from the UK, including new lead strength and conditioning coach Alex Donnelly, leave tomorrow.
That precedes a regular pre-season tour of Abu Dhabi in mid-March.
McGrath has previously called for a fast beginning to 2026, something Yorkshire have struggled with in the last two seasons. They have only really found top gear during the second half of 2024 and 2025, for example.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Melburnian Mick Lewis, Yorkshire’s bowling coach, will lead the month-long camp Down Under.
And this is an important step along the way, believes the former all-rounder.
“It’s something we did when myself and Mick were at Essex,” he said. “It’s been led by Mick, and it’s something that we’ve brought with us.
“I know how well it can work.
“To get four weeks on grass, to mix with players who have been playing in the Big Bash and will be playing in the Sheffield Shield, is really good.
“They’ll get some good practice, and they’ll have some good conversations around cricket with the Victoria players and coaches, which will be good to get some different ideas.
“We will have a real handle on it from a backroom staff point of view with Mick and Donners there, and it just gives us a really good leg up before our pre-season tour to Abu Dhabi.”
Picture by Alex Whitehead/SWPix.com. Yorkshire’s players will link up with Will Sutherland, one of the county’s overseas players in 2025 and the current Victoria captain.
Young fast bowler Matty Firbank is one who will not travel as he continues his recovery from a back injury which ruled him out of England Under 19s winter action.
At the other end of the experience scale, opening batter Adam Lyth will also stay at home.
Matthew Revis will be another absentee having been selected to go on an England Lions batting camp.
“It will be especially useful for the bowlers,” said McGrath.
“Rather than trying to build up overs in Abu Dhabi, where you can almost lose the first week if you do that, we can really start Abu Dhabi as our proper pre-season and get straight into it.
“There won’t be any matches for the lads out there, aside from those who are already there playing grade cricket.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Fin Bean will be part of the camp. He is currently playing grade cricket for Melbourne University.
“In Abu Dhabi, because pretty much everyone will have already been outside, we can play more games there rather than have a week’s training. We can also do a lot more scenario-based work. That’s the idea behind this trip.
“Having looked at how things went last winter when we came in – myself, Mick, Gavin and Sads – one thing we thought we could improve was getting players to play more cricket during the winter rather than just being in a closed environment in the gym and the East Stand at Headingley.
“It’s not just the cricket side of things, it’s fending for yourself, particularly if you go and play club cricket.
“It’s being accountable as the overseas pro as well as learning to play in different conditions.
“I don’t think it’s a one size fits all thing.
“Giving the younger guys their exposure and playing more cricket when they can, I think is a good thing.”
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. All-rounder George Hill is one of those heading to Melbourne this week.
Victoria are captained by Will Sutherland, who was one of Yorkshire’s overseas players through the middle of last summer.
They currently sit top of the Sheffield Shield ladder and host Queensland next week at the MCG, when Yorkshire’s players will be present.
Ironically, the Vics then head over to Perth to face Sam Whiteman’s Western Australia.
They also have One-Day Cup matches against the same opponents over the next few weeks.