Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Gavin Hamilton says 2026 is a crucial year in Yorkshire’s T20 development.
Gavin Hamilton says Yorkshire’s men will be changing things up in their search for a maiden Vitality Blast title in 2026.
The White Rose county are, frustratingly, one of English domestic cricket’s underachievers when it comes to performances in T20 cricket.
Yorkshire, Durham, Derbyshire and Glamorgan are the only counties never to have won the Blast, while Yorkshire have only ever reached three Finals Days in 2012, 2016 and 2022.
While general manager of cricket Hamilton and head coach Anthony McGrath will not be prioritising the Blast next summer – after all, they want to win all three trophies – they are aware of just how important improvements in the shortest format are.
“Next season is absolutely huge for us in terms of the Blast,” said Hamilton.
“Look, we know where we are in terms of our T20 side.
“We’re not where we want to be.”
Next season’s Blast begins for Yorkshire with a trip to face Nottinghamshire Outlaws at Trent Bridge on Friday May 22.
It is a venue where they have won on each of their last two visits, in 2023 and again back in mid-June.
Last season’s success was one of two particularly eye-catching wins, the other being against North Group winners Lancashire Lightning at Emirates Old Trafford.
However, consistency is required.
Yorkshire have finished third-bottom and second-bottom in the group stages in each of the last two seasons, winning only 11 matches in that time.
Hamilton and McGrath will be appointing a new captain, with last season’s skipper Dawid Malan recently departing the club to move to Gloucestershire.
“We’re planning heavily,” added Hamilton.
“We’re well aware that we can’t just keep doing the same things. So, there’s going to be a few changes around recruitment, around team structure, etc, going forwards.
“To potentially get that first trophy would just make a statement that the club’s going in the right direction and there’s a long-term plan, a strategy around this.
“That first trophy would be a stepping stone, hopefully, to bigger things.”
