Headingley will host its first Disability fixture next month as a Yorkshire President’s XI takes on an England Select XI.
The two sides will face off in a 30-over fixture on Friday September 6, starting at 11am.
The two teams have been selected and will bring together players from across three disability groups; Deaf, Learning Disability and Physical Disability.
England Deaf and Learning Disability captains, Chris Edwards and George Greenway, will play.
Former England Physical Disability World Cup winner and title-winning Yorkshire D40 captain Gordon Laidlaw will come out of retirement to take his place in the county’s side.
Yorkshire President Jane Powell, whose day job is the ECB’s Disability Performance Manager, said: “This is a huge thing. It once again sends out a message that Headingley, the home of Yorkshire Cricket, is a home to everybody who plays the game.
Picture courtesy of Ben Silver. L-R. Jared Warner (as assistant coach), Ben Silver (as head coach), wicketkeeper-batter Liam Thomas and Yorkshire president and ECB disability performance manager Jane Powell were the Yorkshire contingent on England’s Physical Disability tour of India in January. Thomas will play for Yorkshire at Headingley next month.
“I’m very proud of everything we’re doing at Yorkshire in terms of Disability Cricket – the volunteers and the players. This game is the icing on the cake.
“In my dual role as Yorkshire President and ECB Disability Performance Manager, I’m thrilled.
“I can hold my head high when I go into ECB meetings and say, ‘Yorkshire are doing this, this and this, Yorkshire are playing at Headingley’.
“The work that goes on behind the scenes is fantastic with the volunteers that we have.
“Owen Jervis (Yorkshire’s D40 Team Manager) is probably one of the best people around as an ambassador. Every county, if they had an Owen Jervis, Disability Cricket would just rocket.
“You’re reliant on so many good volunteers, and he’s the best.”
Picture by YCCC. Yorkshire Disability team manager Owen Jervis.
Powell continued: “Richard Robinson (Yorkshire’s Head of Grounds) has been all over this and has been desperate to find a date for us. He just wants to open up Headingley to anybody who represents Yorkshire, and these guys have been doing that for a few years now.
“Last year, they were D40 Quest county champions, and it’s nice to reward them with this opportunity.”
Yorkshire’s D40 Quest team have been unable to defend the national title they won last year, but Powell believes things are going well at both county and national level.
“We had a couple of key people who retired,” she said, also admitting that on the day she will be supporting “Yorkshire, of course!
“We’re inviting Gordon Laidlaw back to play in this game for Yorkshire because he never had the opportunity to play at Headingley, and he’s a stalwart of the disability game.
“What was left when Gordon retired was a talented unit lacking in experience, and that’s shown. They’ve still done well and competed in every game.
Picture courtesy of Gordon Laidlaw. Former World Cup winner Gordon Laidlaw will play for Yorkshire against an England Select XI next month.
“Currently, our England Deaf and Learning Disability sides are Ashes holders, and we go to Brisbane in November for the Blind Ashes. There’s a chance we might hold all three Ashes trophies.”
Yorkshire’s team will include internationals such as Rob Hewitt, Alex Jervis, Jake Oakes and Liam Thomas, while current county captain Matt Bateman will also feature.
On the development of Disability Cricket in England, Powell added: “It’s moving along very quickly now.
“Because the profile is being raised, people are more aware of disability cricket.
“I’m also sure there are players who don’t even realise they would qualify. Matt Bateman is one such example in the last couple of years.
“Part and parcel of playing at Headingley is to raise the profile. We want people to see it and say, ‘How do I get involved in that?’
Yorkshire’s National Quest League champions pose with the trophy they won in 2022.
“Hopefully this will be a regular thing on the fixture list for us. We’d also love to do a double header day in the T20s as well.”
Yorkshire squad: Ed Denton, Adnan Ghani, Jake Oakes, Luke Riley (Deaf), Rob Hewitt, Alex Jervis, Owen Morris, Curtis Sugden (Learning Disability), Matt Bateman, Kyle Clayton, Cameron Cooper, Gordon Laidlaw, Liam Thomas (Physical Disability).
England squad: Nathan Caddell, Stephen George, George Greenway, Joel Harris (Deaf), Chris Edwards, Alfie Pyle, Kester Sainsbury, Tom Wilson (Learning Disability), James Nordin, Brendon Parr, Ben Sutton, Jordan Williams (Physical Disability).
