Picture by Alex Whitehead/SWPix.com. Ben Coad is confident Yorkshire can climb the Division One table.
Ben Coad says Yorkshire will take inspiration from last year’s acceleration during the second half of the season as they bid to secure their top-flight future in the Rothesay County Championship.
Last summer, Yorkshire were winless during the first seven games but went on to win five of their last seven outings and clinch promotion from Division Two.
This year, their situation is similar. Like last June, they go into the second half of the four-day campaign sat second-bottom in the table, albeit in Division One and with one win to their name.
They won’t have to win five of the last seven to achieve their aim, though they will clearly need a positive second half of the year.
“We have spoken about what happened last year and how we went on a run and ended the season really positively,” said talismanic new-ball seamer Coad.
“And we know that we’ve got that kind of thing in us again. If we find our best cricket, we can compete with anyone in this division.”
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. George Hill celebrates one of his 32 Championship wickets with new-ball seamer Jack White.
Coad was speaking ahead of Yorkshire’s trip to Trent Bridge tomorrow to face league leaders Nottinghamshire (11am). Unfortunately Pakistani overseas batter Abdullah Shafique will not make his debut this weekend following a delay with his visa.
It’s the first Championship match since late May, with the White Rose losing to Notts by 163 runs at Headingley on that occasion. Since then, the first half of the Vitality Blast has been played. The Kookaburra ball is in play.
In four-day cricket, Yorkshire have so far won one, lost four and drawn two.
Their only win came against bottom-placed Worcestershire at Headingley in mid-April, by 504 runs, but they are on a two-game losing streak having been beaten by defending champions Surrey at The Kia Oval and Notts at Headingley.
“I do think we’re close,” said Coad, with confidence.
“But it’s just about putting the good stuff together for longer periods of time and recognising crucial moments in games, making sure we get through those parts.
“From a team point of view, you take the Worcestershire game, and that’s where it all came together for us. Everyone was firing right the way through that.
Picture by Aamir Qureshi/Getty Images. Pakistan overseas batter Abdullah Shafique will no longer debut at Trent Bridge following visa issues.
“There’s been other parts where we’ve been really on it, especially as a bowling unit. Essex away (draw) was one when we bowled them out for 123 in the first innings.
“It’s just been about not doing it for long enough.
“If you’re looking at it individually, Hilly’s having a great year with the ball, Lythy’s been unbelievable for us up at the top and we’re seeing sparks from Wharts again.
“I know I need to take more wickets with the new ball. If I get those starts, then it makes it so much easier for everyone else.”
As Coad alluded to, George Hill is leading the way for Yorkshire with the ball. His 32 wickets leaves him as the joint leading wicket-taker in either division alongside Kyle Abbott from Hampshire.
Opener Adam Lyth has 728 runs, the second best haul in Division One behind tomorrow’s opponent Haseeb Hameed, the Notts’ opener and captain who has 734 to his name.
Coad, who hasn’t played any Blast cricket over the last month, has 16 wickets from six four-day matches to his name and probably deserves more. It was quite remarkable how he didn’t strike in the first innings against Notts at Headingley last time out on a helpful pitch, for example.
Picture by Ben Hoskins/Getty Images. Adam Lyth has been in excellent form in the Rothesay County Championship.
This is the first of back-to-back Championship games before the resumption of the Blast early next month. Essex at York follows next Sunday.
Shafique was due to play both Championship games but will now debut at York.
New Zealand quick Will O’Rourke is likely to feature at Trent Bridge before heading off for international duty. The Kiwis have T20 and Test Match commitments in Zimbabwe next month and into August. The plan is for Will Sutherland to play at York.
Ninth-placed Yorkshire currently have 59 points and are 16 adrift of third-bottom Essex.
Notts, meanwhile, have so far won four of seven matches and lead Division One on 115 points – 10 clear of Surrey in second.
Mohammad Abbas, the Pakistani seamer who took a first-innings 6-45 at Headingley, will feature as one of their overseas player. Notts have signed Indian batter Ishan Kishan on a short-term, two-match deal, and he is expected to debut.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Mohammad Abbas impressed against Yorkshire at Headingley.
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE v YORKSHIRE, FIRST-CLASS CRICKET – 1863-June 20, 2025 – STAT PACK
Results (home and away) County Championship: Played 208; Yorkshire won 77, Nottinghamshire won 28, Drawn 103. (Abandoned 5).
In addition, the counties have played 55 non-Championship matches, 18 won by Yorkshire, 22 by Nottinghamshire and 15 drawn 15.
At Trent Bridge (all first-class): played 120; Yorkshire won 36, Nottinghamshire won 23, Drawn 61.
Most recent results: 2025 Nottinghamshire won by 163 runs at Headingley; Yorkshire’s most recent victory – 2019 at Scarborough by 143 runs; most recent draw – 2019 at Trent Bridge.
Most successive wins: Yorkshire 5 (1950-52 and 1960-62); Nottinghamshire 3 (1864-65, 1883-84 and 1993-95).
Two wins in a season: Yorkshire 16 times, Nottinghamshire 4 (most recent 1891).
Highest innings totals: For Yorkshire, 572-8dec at Scarborough in 2013.
For Nottinghamshire, 545-7dec at Headingley in 2010.
Lowest innings totals: For Yorkshire, 32 at Sheffield (Bramall Lane) in 1876.
For Nottinghamshire, 13 at Trent Bridge in 1901.
Highest individual score: For Yorkshire, 285 by P Holmes at Trent Bridge in 1929.
For Nottinghamshire, 251* by DJ Hussey at Headingley in 2010.
Highest partnerships: For Yorkshire, 297 for the fifth wicket between AW Gale (272) and GS Balance (141) at Scarborough in 2013.
For Nottinghamshire, 270 for the third wicket between DW Randall (166) and CEB Rice (121*) at Harrogate in 1980.
Best bowling figures (innings): For Yorkshire, 10-10 by H Verity at Headingley in 1932.
For Nottinghamshire, 8-32 by JC Shaw at Trent Bridge in 1865.
Best bowling figures (match): For Yorkshire, 14-33 (8-12 & 6-21) by R Peel at Sheffield (Bramall Lane) in 1888.
For Nottinghamshire, 14-94 (8-38 & 6-56) by F Morley at Trent Bridge in 1878.
Hat-tricks: For Yorkshire, 7 – by FS Trueman (3) at Trent Bridge in 1951, at Scarborough in 1955 and at Bradford in 1963, D Wilson (2) at Middlesborough in 1959 and at Worksop in 1966, H Verity at Headingley in 1932 and AL Robinson at Worksop in 1974.
For Nottinghamshire, 0.
Most dismissals in an innings by a wicketkeeper: For Yorkshire, 6 (all caught) by HG Duke at Trent Bridge in 2021.
For Nottinghamshire, 6 (all caught) by CMW Read at Trent Bridge in 2013, K Verreynne at Headingley in 2025 (all caught).
Most dismissals in a match by a wicketkeeper: For Yorkshire, 6 (all caught) by HG Duke at Trent Bridge in 2021.
For Nottinghamshire, 9 (all caught) by K Verreynne at Headingley in 2025.
Most catches in an innings by a fielder: For Nottinghamshire, 5 by DW Randall at Trent Bridge in 1987.
No Yorkshire player has taken more than 4 in an innings.
Most catches in a match by a fielder: For Yorkshire, 6 by J Tunnicliffe at Sheffield (Bramall Lane) in 1895, P Holmes at Huddersfield in 1921 and JV Wilson at Trent Bridge in 1961.
For Nottinghamshire, 7, by SJ Mullaney at Trent Bridge in 2020.
100 runs and 10 wickets in a match: For Nottinghamshire, FD Stephenson 111 and 117, and 11-222 (4-105 and 7-117) at Trent Bridge in 1988.
A century and five wickets in a match: For Yorkshire, W Bates 102 and 2-58 and 5-17 at Sheffield (Bramall Lane) in 1878, FS Jackson 43 and 145 and 0-10 and 5-37 at Headingley in 1894, JT Newstead 29 and 100* and 7-68 and 0-3 at Trent Bridge in 1908 and W Rhodes 176 and 5-68 and 0-7 at Harrogate in 1912.
At Trent Bridge…
Highest innings totals: Yorkshire 534-9dec in 2011, Nottinghamshire 490 in 1897.
Lowest innings totals: Yorkshire 43 in 1869, Nottinghamshire 13 in 1901.
Highest individual score: For Yorkshire, 285 by P Holmes in 1929. For Nottinghamshire, 236 by AD Hales in 2015.
Best bowling figures (innings): For Yorkshire, 8-38 by W Rhodes in 1899. For Nottinghamshire, 8-32 by JC Shaw in 1865.
Best bowling figures (match): For Yorkshire, 13-176 (7-89 and 6-87) by WE Bowes in 1933. For Nottinghamshire, 14-94 (8-38 and 6-56) by F Morley in 1878.
Compiled by Paul Dyson, Peter Horne and Martyn Webster – members of the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians.
