Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Yorkshire’s general manager of cricket Gavin Hamilton with the county’s women’s player-of-the-year for 2025, Ami Campbell.
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.
The White Rose county’s general manager has been reflecting on a fixture list which sees a quieter start for the men in the Rothesay County Championship compared to the summer just gone, with six games in April and May instead of seven.
There is a busier September, however, with four games ending the summer.
Yorkshire start in the Championship against Glamorgan at Cardiff on Friday April 3 and finish against reigning champions Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge on Thursday September 24.
There is a return of a Friday night Roses home game against Lancashire at Headingley in the Vitality Blast (June 5). The last time that happened was in 2021.
Gloucestershire visit Headingley in the revamped 12-games per county group stage in the Blast. The two counties have never met in this format.
Yorkshire’s women make their Tier 1 debut against Somerset at Taunton on Saturday April 11 in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup, while the first ever Roses clash at professional level comes when the White Rose visit Emirates Old Trafford in the same competition on Saturday April 24 to face defending champions Lancashire.
At the same venue on Friday July 10, Yorkshire’s men and women face Lancashire in a mouthwatering Blast double header.
“We’re really comfortable with how things have panned out,” said Hamilton. “And I’m not just saying that.
“The only real challenge is when the One-Day Cup comes around for the lads in July and August. There’s going to be a lot of travelling (Yorkshire go to Neath, Hove, Lord’s and Chelmsford for their away games).
“But we’ll assess that and take it as it comes.
“There’s nothing in there that I look and go, ‘I’m a little bit concerned around it’.
“Every single year, you’re going to get three or four challenges around fixtures. It’s just part and parcel of it.”
Hamilton likes the look of the heart of the season for the men, which sees the Vitality Blast punctuated by two Championship games. The Blast starts on May 22 away at Nottinghamshire and finishes with Finals Day on July 18 at Edgbaston.
In between, Yorkshire’s seventh and eighth Championship matches are played against Warwickshire at Scarborough and Leicestershire at the Uptonsteel County Ground, Grace Road from June 12 and 19 respectively.
“I’m in favour of the change of format,” said the former all-rounder of the move from 14 group games to 12 and bringing Finals Day forwards to mid-July. He also likes the prospect of playing two different teams from other groups, namely Gloucestershire at home and Hampshire away.
“I think it needed to happen. It was becoming a bit stale.
“We’ve had the same teams and the same grounds. I know Anthony (McGrath) is in favour of it as well.
“It’s going to be ever-changing each year and keeps things fresh.
“There’s been a lot of talk around the reduction of games, and I think this year is a big step in the right direction for the Blast. I really do.
“The other thing, it’s very positive that it will be played in a tighter block than previous seasons.
“The last thing we’d want is our overseas to be involved in 12 group games and then have to shoot off and be elsewhere in the world when it comes to the quarter-finals and Finals. So for them to happen so quickly after the group stage is good.
“That plays a huge part in our planning going forwards.
“To have six and six Blast games, two Championship games in the middle and then the quarters and Finals Day, that’s quite an attractive package to offer an overseas player. I think it’s the right decision from the ECB.”
With that in mind, the schedule looks to lend itself to a stronger Blast.
“Absolutely it does,” said Hamilton. “You can potentially attract some very good, high-end players for that block I just mentioned, which then leads into the Hundred.”
There are four home Blast double headers at Headingley for the men and women.
“They’re always fantastic,” said the GM. “We’ve got a couple of away ones, and they’re just good days. There’s a real buzz about them for both teams.”
Hamilton chuckles when he assesses the start to the summer for Yorkshire’s women.
The Tier 2 Metro Bank One-Day Cup champions open their Tier 1 account with Somerset away (April 11) before a trip to face Surrey at the Kia Oval on Wednesday April 15. They then host The Blaze at a venue to be confirmed three days later before a trip to face Lancashire on April 25.
Surrey were last year’s Blast champions, Lancashire won the One-Day and County T20 knockout double and The Blaze reached three semi-finals in 2025.
“They’re certainly going to find out what Tier 1’s like pretty early, aren’t they,” said Hamilton. “Look, we want to play the best sides and see where we are.
“We’ll go into it on the back of a really good summer and winter, and hopefully we’ll be at full strength in April.
“We need to start the season solidly and build those foundations. But there’s no reason why we can’t start well. We could get off to a flyer.
“With the squad we have – our 16 pros and some good youngsters in the Academy and EPP – we’re confident that we’re going to be more than competitive.”
On the Friday night Roses Blast men’s game at Headingley on June 5, Hamilton said: “That’s very exciting. Friday night at Headingley, Roses game, it’s as good as it gets.
“We’ve been pushing for that. It’s one of the biggest domestic occasions of the year, and it’s visa versa at Old Trafford as well.”
And Yorkshire’s two Championship games at Scarborough see them welcome Warwickshire on June 12-15 and then newly-promoted Leicestershire on August 27-30.
“It’s nice that we’ve been able to split the Scarborough games next year,” he added. “Scarborough’s been a good hunting ground for us in recent years.
“We’ll liaise very closely with the groundsman there, John Dodds, and make conditions as consistent as possible, which we do with all our outgrounds.
“We’d like our pitches to be very aligned so that we get our players used to home conditions, giving us the best chance to use that to our advantage.”
