Paul Grayson, a coach with white ball success behind him at Essex, believes Yorkshire have been hurt in both limited overs competitions this year by chopping and changing with team selection and a lack of role clarity as a result.

The White Rose’s batting coach insists their under performance will be addressed this winter, given they have so far only won three of 18 limited overs fixtures, including one from 10 in the Vitality Blast.

But, before then, the Vikings will try and make a late bid for the Blast quarter-finals with four wins from their remaining North Group fixtures, starting against Durham at Emirates Riverside tomorrow (6.30pm, FRIDAY).

Grayson returned to Emerald Headingley in March as the county’s new batting coach following two seasons as head coach of the Yorkshire Diamonds women’s team. He combined his duties with his role as director of cricket at Durham University.

Prior to that, Grayson spent eight years as Essex’s head coach between 2007 and 2015.

In 2008, he guided them to Friends Provident one-day Trophy success and the Pro40 League Division Two title when they pipped Yorkshire, who were promoted in second place.

He said: “When I was head coach at Essex, it was very much my brief.

“With the group of players we had, it was almost a white ball club and develop a red ball side from there, which they have done the last few years by playing the likes of Westley, Porter, Lawrence.

“With youngsters like that, you are going to get highs and lows, but there were signs just before I left that they were going to become a good red ball side.

“While I was there, though, we were very much about the white ball competitions.

“During my eight-year period, we won the second most white ball matches of any county. There was only Hampshire I think who won more 40 and 50-over and T20 matches.”

He continued: “Our white ball campaign this season has been a big frustration to all of us, both the 50-over and the T20.

“That’s something we need to look at this winter.

“We’ve been searching for our best side in both formats for a while. It’s been in and out.

“The key in the shorter formats is about knowing your role within the side. But when the side’s chopping and changing, it can be very difficult.

“Sometimes you can have too big a squad. If you’re not playing well and getting results, you chop and change the side quite quickly.

“At Essex, we had 14 one-day players who we stuck with. ‘Ok, we haven’t won this game and we’ve lost the next one, but we still believe in our formula’.

“Sometimes you have to be quite stubborn and say, ‘Right, this is how we’re going to play and we will come through’.

“When that Essex side was going well, it ran like clockwork.

“I knew who was going to bowl at certain times. I knew if a game was going to plan who would field at deep mid-wicket or who’s going to do short 45.

“That’s something we will have to look at over the winter here.

“Having said that, we could still win our last four games and have a chance of qualifying.

“But, up to now, we know our white ball cricket hasn’t been as good as it should be.”

Yorkshire are bottom of the North, four points adrift of the all important top four. Durham are fifth and one point adrift having won four from 11.

Team news

Tom Kohler-Cadmore continues to captain the side.

Spinners Josh Poysden (head), Adil Rashid (shoulder) and James Logan (back) have been ruled out for the rest of the season.

Seamer Matthew Fisher (dislocated shoulder/broken thumb), who has been easing back into his bowling work, is close to a return to competitive cricket.

Vikings squad

Tim Bresnan
Harry Brook
Will Fraine
Tom Kohler-Cadmore ©
Jack Leaning
Adam Lyth
Keshav Maharaj
Duanne Olivier
Mathew Pillans
Jack Shutt
Jonny Tattersall (WK)
Jordan Thompson
Matthew Waite
David Willey

Vitality Blast table

Competition statistics

The Vikings

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