Ben Coad is confident he and Yorkshire are in for an exciting four years after the talismanic seamer recently put pen to paper on a new contract at Headingley.
Coad has committed to the county until at least the end of the 2028 season, by which time he is hopeful the county will have some more silverware to celebrate.
The 31-year-old’s first-team debut came in 2016, the summer after Yorkshire’s last triumph – the second of back-to-back County Championship titles.
But the signs are good that more success is on the horizon following last summer’s promotion back to Division One.
It was a campaign which saw new ball star Coad top the charts in Division Two with 56 wickets from his 12 matches, the best haul of his career to date.
“The main aim is to win a trophy with Yorkshire,” said the Ripon-born bowler.
Picture by John Heald. Ben Coad celebrates a wicket against Derbyshire at Chesterfield last summer.
“It’s been a long time. It was just before I started to play first-team cricket that we won a few, and I’d love to get a Championship medal and some more silverware.
“It’s something I massively believe we can achieve. That’s why I committed to the club.
“The youngsters we’ve got coming through, they’ve shown what they can do now.
“I read Hilly (George Hill) saying it last week that it was a bit of a blessing that we went down to Division Two because it meant the young lads could play a lot of cricket. And I think you’ve seen how far they’ve come on in those two years.
“I think they’ll really step up in the next few years and put in some good contributions.”
Coad is understandably delighted to have extended his stay with his home county.
Picture by Ian Roman/Abu Dhabi Cricket and Sports hub. Ben Coad pictured during Yorkshire’s pre-season tour of Abu Dhabi last March. The county are to return there next month.
“There’s no other club I want to be at,” he continued. “I wanted to sign for as long as possible, so another four years is great for me. It’s also nice to know that the club want me for that long. I’m really happy and excited to see what we can do over the next few years.”
Coad’s 56 wickets in 2024, with three hauls of five wickets or more, marked his best return in a first-class season. It was the second time in his career that he has gone beyond 50 wickets in a campaign, the first being his maiden full season of first-team cricket in 2017 when he struck 53 times in Division One.
And he is confident that there is more of the same to follow.
“I’m really happy with how last year went for the team and for myself,” he said.
“There was that big target from Gibbo (Ottis Gibson) for me. He urged me to really strive for over 50 wickets, and to do that quite comfortably was a massive achievement.
“I’ll just try and carry that forwards.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Ben Coad acknowledges the applause of the Scarborough crowd after taking five wickets in the second innings of the Championship win against Sussex last August.
“I still feel like I can do even better because it was a big second half of the season, and I could have got even more wickets with the first half of the season going the way it did.
“There were a few flat pitches, which didn’t help, and I missed a couple of games after Sussex away.
“It’s a long stretch to expect to play all 14 games with seven in a row at the start. But if I can stay fit and be available for it all, perform the way I did in the back half, there’s no reason why I can’t go for even more this season.
“I think I know my game now. As a young bowler coming into the team, there are always things to work on and make better. Injury prevention is a big part of that as well.
“Touch wood, we’re beyond the injuries, and hopefully this is the part where I can reap the rewards and go really well.”
Coad has now taken 302 wickets in 76 first-class appearances added to 53 in List A cricket and 13 more in T20s. His first-class average stands at a mightily impressive 19.43.
Picture by YCCC. Ben Coad and his Yorkshire team-mates are preparing for the new season under the watchful eye of new men’s head coach Anthony McGrath.
And if things work out well down the line, he will end his career with those number looking even more striking.
“I’m not seeing this as my last contract, I just see it as another long contract,” he added. “I’m not planning to finish at the end of this one, by any means.
“It’s a long way off – it’s four years – and things might change in that time.
“But, as I see it, I’ve always looked to be going into my late thirties and maybe into my early forties if I can still do it and I’m not hampering the team in any way. I plan to keep going for as long as I possibly can do.”
