Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com – 02/05/2025 – Cricket – Rothesay County Championship Division One – Yorkshire County Cricket Club v Warwickshire County Cricket Club – Headingley Cricket Ground, Leeds, England – Anthony McGrath.
Anthony McGrath is confident Yorkshire can transfer their form during the second half of the summer into a fast start when next summer rolls around.
The White Rose county went through the final seven games of the 2025 Rothesay County Championship unbeaten, just as they did the previous summer.
In fact, their points haul during that period – 109 – was matched only by county champions Nottinghamshire.
Yorkshire won three and drew four of the last seven games, including wrapping up the summer by beating Durham at Headingley at the end of last month. In the first half of the campaign, they won once and lost four times.
Head coach McGrath said: “They are a fit bunch, and that makes a difference when it comes to the stretch.
“I think we saw in the Metro Bank (One-Day Cup) where other teams looked a little bit leggy, particularly in the field and our running in between the wickets, we were good.
“It is just about starting well. But I just think that’s more a mentality thing than anything else, a belief.
“I’ve definitely seen a shift in that.
“I’d mentioned a few times about our performances being a little bit passive. Whereas, the second half of the season, we’ve been in people’s faces, we’ve been aggressive.
“We had a lot of belief.”
Meanwhile, McGrath has praised the work of head of grounds Richard Robinson and his team for the work they have done at Headingley during the summer.
McGrath wanted more spice in the Championship pitches in a bid to create results, and it worked. All four matches at HQ produced a result, Yorkshire winning two and losing two.
“Coming into the club, it’s been a bit of a graveyard for results,” added McGrath, who has indicated that it will be more of the same in 2026. “This year, in the Championship, it’s been a lot different. We want to have results here.
“Robbo has been magnificent.
“The practice pitches have been similar to what we’ve played on, and for the game against Durham he produced two pitches so that we had a choice.
“It’s been a big team effort there, so Robbo and his team have been superb.”
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Yorkshire’s head of grounds, Richard Robinson.
