Ottis Gibson expects new overseas signing Donovan Ferreira to produce some fireworks in the coming weeks.
South African wicketkeeper-batter Ferreira has shown glimpses of his power with the willow in the opening three Vitality Blast matches, of which Yorkshire have won two.
The Proteas international hit 26 off 18 balls with a six in defeat to Leicestershire at the Uptonsteel County Ground on Friday evening before hitting two sixes in 15 off 10 balls in the win over Northamptonshire at Wantage Road on Sunday.
Ferreira batted at five and then four in those two matches having not been required in the eight-wicket win over Worcestershire at Headingley on Thursday, a game in which he kept impressively.
“If he bats 30 or 40 balls, the way he strikes the ball, he’ll be somewhere close to a hundred,” said, of the 25-year-old.
“I feel, before the end of this tournament, we’ll see that from him.
“We’ll see him put some balls in the stands.”
Picture by David Rogers/Getty Images. Ottis Gibson is expecting big things from wicketkeeper-batter Donavan Ferreira.
Gibson was full of praise for all of his players after Sunday’s win at Northampton, by 29 runs defending a target of 186-6 against a Steelbacks side who had won their opening two matches.
It came less than 48 hours after the seven-wicket defeat at Leicestershire.
“After the disappointment against Leicester, to get over the line against a top-of-the-table team was really good,” he said.
“The scoreboard with 180-odd gave us a lot of confidence to go out and bowl the way we did.
“I thought Shan used his bowlers well, Dom Bess was brilliant with the ball. Jordy (Thompson), this is his format. They all bowled really well, and it was a real team effort to get us over the line.
“The hallmark of a good team is how you come back from adversity.
“Friday night, we were never at the races.
Picture by David Rogers/Getty Images. Dom Bess was excellent at Northampton with 28 and then 2-20.
“We didn’t bat very well (151-7). Everyone said that it was doing this and that. But when they batted, it looked like they rolled out a different pitch. They spanked us, to be fair.
“That’s what I said to the lads upstairs. Sometimes, it happens in T20 cricket.
“We didn’t dwell on it. We have a good group of players, and the boys are in good spirits.”
With a week between matches from Northampton to Derbyshire at Headingley on Sunday, Yorkshire will get time on task with their T20 cricket – something they weren’t afforded last week before the start of the competition.
They finished their last Championship match at Northampton on Monday evening and then faced Worcestershire at Headingley on Thursday evening.
Some senior players may feature in a second-team double header against Durham at Headingley tomorrow.
Gibson has also given an injury update around a number of recent absentees.
Picture by John Heald. Ben Coad in action during last month’s Championship clash with Sussex.
Dom Leech sustained a side injury during the Northamptonshire win, only bowling two overs. He was being assessed this week.
But the return of two more fast bowlers, Matthew Fisher and Ben Coad, is imminent.
Fisher has been out of action since the start of May when he sustained an ankle injury whilst fielding during the County Championship draw against Derbyshire at Headingley.
“Hopefully, Fish should be ready for Sunday,” said Gibson.
Coad, meanwhile, sustained a back injury during the Championship draw at Sussex and missed the Northamptonshire draw as a result.
He is on course to return for the next Championship match, against Gloucestershire at Scarborough, starting on June 23 – when he could line up alongside Fisher and Sri Lankan overseas fast bowler Vishwa Fernando, who is available for two more red ball games.
“Coady’s back running and gymming and stuff like that,” said Gibson.
Picture by Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com. Adam Lyth celebrates his half-century against Worcestershire last week. He is in line to return, and hopefully do the same, against Derbyshire on Sunday.
“He had a small tear in the muscle at the bottom of his back. Luckily, it wasn’t as bad as we thought it was at first. We had Mickey Edwards with a stress fracture, Matt Milnes with a stress fracture. Then somebody else is holding his back and you think, ‘Oh no, not another, we don’t need that’.
“But, fortunately for us, it’s not a stress fracture and we’ll get him patched up for Scarborough I think.”
On the batting front, Gibson is also hoping Adam Lyth will have recovered from an elbow injury in time to face Derbyshire in the Blast at Headingley on Sunday.
Opener Lyth suffered his injury whilst fielding against Leicestershire and missed the Northamptonshire clash.
“Lythy has done his elbow and was struggling to throw,” added Gibson. “But, hopefully, a week off and some treatment, he’ll be able to get ready for Sunday. From what I’m hearing from Ed (Owen, head of science and medicine), it’s not too bad.”
