Harry Duke has been reflecting on an enjoyable second-team season so far, one which he hopes will yield silverware for Yorkshire next week.
The county’s second string are heading to T20 Finals Day on Tuesday, where they will come up against Surrey in the second semi-final at Wormsley.
Glamorgan and Somerset are also involved at the picturesque Buckinghamshire venue.
Wicketkeeper-batter Duke has played the majority of his cricket for the seconds this summer, though is set to take the gloves in the firsts when the Metro Bank One-Day Cup starts later this month.
Wakefield-born Duke, 22, hasn’t been limited solely to a diet of seconds cricket this campaign.
He has played one game in the Vitality Blast, while other valuable opportunities have come in the form of an early-season loan spell with Essex when he played twice in the Vitality County Championship.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Harry Duke is chasing silverware with the seconds.
More recently, he played, alongside Will Luxton, for a County Select XI in a three-day warm-up match against the touring West Indians. That match finished in a draw at Beckenham, with Luxton hitting a first-innings 112 not out and Duke an unbeaten 46. They shared an unbroken fifth-wicket partnership of 140, quite the feather in their caps.
“Just going to experience different environments, it’s got to be positive for your cricket,” said Duke.
“That First-Class Counties game against the West Indies at Beckenham was a great chance for myself and Luxy to show what we can do against a top international side.
“You don’t get those opportunities very often as a county cricketer.
“Obviously, going on loan to Essex was another opportunity to show that I can do. I felt like I kept wicket pretty well.”
Reflecting on his season so far, Duke continued: “I’m not so sure I could have done much more to put my name in the hat to play this year (first-team cricket). So far, I’ve played pretty well in the second team.
Picture by John Clifton/SWpix.com. Will Luxton is having a super summer in the seconds.
“I’d have liked to score a few more runs, but I feel like I’ve played quite well.”
Yorkshire won five of 10 matches in the T20 to qualify for Finals Day, while they have drawn four of five Championship matches and sit mid-table.
He continued: “The results at second-team cricket matter to a certain extent because if lads are performing, then you’re more likely to win games. But progression is the most important thing.
“What’s been really nice for me is that, I know I’m only 22 but I feel like one of the experienced heads in that side.
“It’s nice to see the young lads coming through, especially ones who have come out of the Academy. Some of them have done really well.
“We’ve done well in the T20s, and hopefully we can finish that off.”
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Coach Tom Smith won the Second XI Championship title in 2022. Hopefully he can add more silverware next week.
Luxton is the sixth leading run-scorer in the whole of the second-team Championship competition with 464 runs, while he has also added 119 runs in the T20 competition. In that, he is just behind Yorkshire’s leading scorer Yash Vagadia with 140.
Another success has come in the form of Noah Kelly signing his maiden professional contract with the club in the last few weeks.
“Luxy is playing the best I’ve ever seen him play, to be honest with you. He’s in red hot form,” said Duke.
“Noah’s a really good young prospect coming through.
“He’s scored a lot of runs at age-group cricket and has had that tag of being the next one coming through for quite a while.
“He’s a fantastic young cricketer who has played some really vital innings for the second team. It’s nice to see him progress, and I don’t see why it can’t continue for him.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Noah Kelly recently signed his maiden pro contract with Yorkshire.
“He’s a very gutsy cricketer from what I’ve seen. He gets stuck in, and we all really enjoy playing with him. He plays some lovely shots off his legs, and he’s a good driver of the ball.
“He’s nice to watch.”
Coach Tom Smith’s Yorkshire are the second semi-final on at Finals Day on Tuesday, starting at 1.45pm against a Surrey side who finished top of the South.
Somerset and Glamorgan start the day at 10.30am before the evening final at 5pm.
