James Taylor

Picture by Ben Hoskins/Getty Images. James Taylor will soon be joining Yorkshire.

Mick Lewis is hoping opportunity will bring out the best in new singing James Taylor, who is joining Yorkshire from Surrey next month.

Taylor is adding further strength to an already exciting looking bowling group mixed with experience and youth.

Along with Taylor, the latest additions are rookie pair Isaac Bepey and Bradley Sylvester. 

Stoke-born seamer Taylor has only played 20 first-class matches since making his debut for Derbyshire in August of 2017, including five of those this summer.

Three were for Surrey and two whilst on loan at Kent. 

He has a total of 43 first-class wickets to his name added to 29 in 25 List A appearances and one wicket in two career T20 outings. 

On debut for Kent, against Gloucestershire at Bristol in an early-May Rothesay County Championship clash, he claimed a first-innings 6-52 – his career best return.

Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Mick Lewis chats to Yorkshire’s batting coach – his fellow assistant – John Sadler.

“James is a guy who just wants an opportunity,” said Yorkshire’s bowling coach Lewis, the ex-Australia quick.

“I think we’ve shown with Ben Cliff that if you get an opportunity and you perform, you know you’ll play. 

“He’s been in, then he’s out, he’s in, then he’s out.

“He’s bringing competition to the other guys, to all of them – to Cliff, to Coad and to White, He’s bringing competition to them, and that’s what we want.

“We want healthy competition, and we want guys who always want to be the best and be the match-winner.”

In late July, we spoke to James’s older brother Tom, who faced Yorkshire whilst playing for Worcestershire in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup at York.

He talked about how James is very much an aggressive seamer rather than a swing bowler.

James Taylor

Picture by Alex Broadway/Getty Images. James Taylor bowls in the Rothesay County Championship for Surrey against Glamorgan last month.

“That’s what we want up here,” added Lewis. 

“We want people to be aggressive, use your skill and obviously use the facilities as well. 

“He’ll be coming out to Melbourne with us (Yorkshire led training camp early next year), and I’m looking forward to working with him out there.”

Related News

View all news
Jess Jonassen

Lauren and Rich hail "world-class" Jess Jonassen

Lauren Winfield-Hill has paid tribute to Jess Jonassen after a stunning first year in Yorkshire colours, saying: “She’s been everything I hoped she’d be, and I knew she would be.”

Read more

Revis thrilled with ECB development contract

Matthew Revis says he is “absolutely buzzing” to have been awarded a development contract by the England and Wales Cricket Board.

Read more
Matthew Revis

Rev on the challenge of batting higher up Yorkshire's order

Matthew Revis is aiming to convert a number of starts into standout contributions in a bid to repay the faith shown in him by Yorkshire’s management having batted him higher up the order for the majority of the 2026 Rothesay County Championship summer.

Read more

Sign up to our newsletter

For all the latest news, previews, ticket, membership and Premium Experiences information and more exciting content from Yorkshire Cricket straight to your inbox, subscribe now.

To view our privacy policy, click here.