Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Erin Thomas in Vitality Blast action for Yorkshire this summer. Cover photo, Claudie Cooper.
Rich Pyrah has praised the progression of a trio of emerging Yorkshire players who are spending their winter playing club cricket in Australia.
Claudie Cooper, Erin Thomas and Jess Woolston have travelled Down Under.
Cooper is playing for Melbourne side Prahran, Woolston is in the same city with Carlton and Thomas is in Brisbane with Sandgate and Redcliffe.
All three were heavily involved in Yorkshire’s maiden Tier 1 campaign during the summer just gone.
Off-spinner Cooper claimed 24 wickets in both one-day and T20 cricket, seamer Woolston 12 and top-order batter Thomas contributed 392 runs.
Cooper gained national recognition in May when she played for an ECB Development XI against the touring New Zealand side at Durham.
She is the oldest of the trio at 24, and all have a high ceiling in terms of their development.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Jess Woolston is spending her second successive winter playing club cricket in Melbourne.
Pyrah, also currently in Australia as head coach of Big Bash side Melbourne Stars, said: “A full season at this level (Tier 1), they will have gained so much experience.
“Playing against these top quality players, you have to perform and get better or you’ll sink. And they’ve done well. They are massive positives.
“Erin, as a young batter, the way she’s talking about batting and finding a clear method, it’s great to see.
“We’ve always known she can strike a ball, but she’s never really known how to build an innings. We’re starting to see that now. She’s getting to 20 consistently. Her next stage is taking it on and getting 40s, 50s, 60s regularly.
“Claudie had a good summer in Tier 2 last year and has stepped up. She got 24 or 25 wickets, and that puts her in the top bracket of domestic spinners in the country.
“The development of Woolly as well. She’s now leading our attack alongside Rachel Slater and Hannah Rainey.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Hannah Rainey returned from injury to end the season impressively. She will be playing international cricket for Scotland this winter.
“Hannah came back after the World Cup and The Hundred and made big strides.
“There are some massive positives, as I say, and we’ve got to keep improving and bring it all together now.”
Cooper, Thomas and Woolston aren’t the only players in Australia at present, though a number are yet to get started.
Ami Campbell has played half a dozen T20 matches for Sydney club Gordon and has posted a best score of 24.
Cooper returned 1-23 from four overs on debut for Prahran in a T20 win over Essendon Maribyrnong Park last Friday.
Thomas has posted scores of 18 and 13 in a pair of T20s for Sandgate and Redcliffe.
Sarah Glenn has struck once with her leg-spin in two Big Bash matches for Brisbane Heat, who will be aiming for their first win when they take on Adelaide Strikers in Sydney tomorrow morning.
