Yorkshire

It had been a nightmare start to life as a full-time professional with Yorkshire for opening bowler Jess Woolston, with injury ruining the first half of her summer. But she returned to action impressively.

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 the squads of both the men’s and the women’s squads.

Gavin Hamilton says Yorkshire’s management are “really comfortable” with the look of next summer’s county schedule for both their men’s and women’s teams.

Gavin Hamilton has hailed run machine Will Luxton exploits in Australia, with the Yorkshire young gun scoring three successive centuries - as captain - for Greenvale Kangaroos in Melbourne club cricket.

“They completely out-performed us that day,” admitted Ami Campbell as she reflected on Middlesex’s 10-wicket win in the Blast final. “But, yeah, I’m glad we got our own back towards the end of the season.”

Will Luxton scored another century for Greenvale Kangaroos on Saturday, his third in succession in Victorian Premier Cricket. In the same competition, Fin Bean racked up an unbeaten 142 for Melbourne University last weekend. 

“Smithy is very, very exciting to watch,” said Noah Kelly recently when asked to describe his emerging team-mate Owen Smith. “He’s got an air of flamboyancy, and he’s got a lot of character when he bats.”

Rich Pyrah has described his former team-mate Mitchell Starc as “Australia’s best weapon this winter”, a theory strengthened by his 10-wicket performance in the opening Ashes Test in Perth on on Friday and Saturday. 

Rich Pyrah has hailed the endeavour shown by - and the progression of - Amelias Love and Oliver after the Yorkshire young guns were last week called up to an England Under 19s winter training camp.

Ami Campbell has hailed the development of emerging all-rounder Maddie Ward, who took on a number of different roles this summer and impressed in them all.

It may be Australia versus England this week in the first Ashes Test in Perth, but Yorkshire and the Aussies have a deep history too.