An update from Yorkshire Group CEO Sanjay Patel:
Dear Members and Supporters of Yorkshire County Cricket Club,
As this year draws to a close, I’m pleased to share a review of our progress, achievements and the clear space that lies ahead.
It has been, in so many ways, a year of transition, refreshment and reaffirmation of purpose for our club, cricket in Yorkshire, and for the commercial sustainability that will underpin the years to come.
This update is structured around our four key pillars – Cricket, Club, EDI and Commercial. My hope is you will find yourself well-informed, encouraged, and ready to continue the journey with us as we move into 2026.
Cricket
2025 brought numerous, promising developments across both our men’s and women’s squads.
Our first season back in Division One of the Rothesay County Championship saw us finish in seventh place with some impressive momentum built up by Anthony McGrath and his team.
There were undoubtedly strong performances throughout the season – we picked up the same amount of points in the final seven games as eventual champions Nottinghamshire and a positive run in the Metro Bank One Day Cup illustrated the depth of talent we have at the Club. These are solid foundations on which I know we will build upon going into 2026.
Our women’s team had an exceptional year. Winning silverware in their first season as a squad provides an outstanding basis for development as we embark on Tier One. Our signings so far illustrate the power of Yorkshire cricket in attracting elite players from across the globe. I know Jess Jonassen and Sarah Glenn will be inspirational figures for players and spectators alike next year.
Both squads have continued to develop under the leadership of our head coaches and newly appointed support staff. I’m confident that with the structures Gavin Hamilton, as General Manager of Cricket, alongside both head coaches, have put in place, we will see further improvements next season.
Women and Girls Cricket in Yorkshire is the strongest it has ever been and is continuing to experience unprecedented growth. In partnership with the Yorkshire Cricket Foundation, the structure of the women’s recreational game in our county will be amended from 2026 with the introduction of three Women’s Premier Leagues.
This will enable the establishment of a sustainable playing pyramid across Yorkshire and will help Yorkshire cricket ensure there is a direct connection between recreational and elite performance structures going forward.
Club
Behind the scenes we have made significant strides, but we also recognise that significant challenges remain.
As many of you will be aware, we decided to sell 100% of the Northern Superchargers for £100.5m. With the structure of the sale across all the eight franchises, the Club drew a profit of circa £60m. This is a transformational windfall that has significantly altered the immediate outlook of our Club. We have gone from being overwhelmingly indebted and running day to day on the generosity of its creditors, to being completely debt free.
The majority of the funds has been spent on getting the club to this position alongside investment in our facilities. We are not prepared to see the remainder of that windfall – which has resulted in a working capital amount of £17m – being squandered. We have therefore established a parallel holding company, Headingley Investments Ltd, to secure these funds.
I cannot stress enough how important it is for the long-term sustainability of the club, that these funds generate a steady profit stream in the future, and we work hard not to erode any of the capital. We have some tough years ahead in 2027 and 2028, where the lack of a men’s test match will mean losses of c£6m.
With finance required for Headingley – in order to maintain the ground as a test match venue – facilities, pathway and our playing squads, the club is going to require additional investment.
We have continued to build an executive team that can navigate the Club through this next period. I am pleased to say that this is now complete with the recent additions of Dan Matson as Commercial Director, Sally Johnson as Group Chief Finance Officer, Jon Barnett as Operations Director and Shariq Mumtaz as Managing Director of the Yorkshire Cricket Foundation, who will all offer excellent expertise. As a collective, we are moving apace to set in stone our long-term strategy that will inform all we look to achieve over this next critical period.
Earlier in 2025, the decision was taken to merge the Yorkshire Cricket Foundation and the Yorkshire Cricket Board under one umbrella organisation.
This was completed in July. The newly merged YCF will continue to enhance the reach of Yorkshire cricket in every region of the county, ensuring that cricket is a force for good and placing our communities at the centre of everything we look to achieve.
EDI (Equality, Diversity & Inclusion)
Cricket must be for everyone—and at Yorkshire CCC we are committed to living up to that ideal.
Our EDI strategy has moved from draft to action: following an extensive consultation phase, we have finalised an updated EDI framework to embed an inclusive culture, better representation, stronger safeguarding and clearer pathways for talent from all backgrounds.
On infrastructure and operations, we have maintained focus on our venues, on making match-days more accessible and enjoyable, and on reinforcing our culture as a club that belongs to its community.
Practical steps this year have included venue-improvement work to ensure accessibility – becoming the first sports stadia in the country to partner with WelcoMe – enhanced outreach programmes through the Yorkshire Cricket Foundation, and continued emphasis on our own internal culture and behaviours.
Our continued promise to you all is that our Club will be a one in which everyone in Yorkshire can be proud of.
Commercial
Despite the Hundred sale and the profit that has generated, we continue to establish a long term, sustainable business model that will enable us to become less reliant on the cyclical nature of test match cricket.
Our membership is continuing to grow from strength to strength. 2025 saw over 10,000 members join us, many using the range of flexible membership packages that we have worked hard to develop.
Our commercial partnerships are continuing to flourish, and our women’s team is proving an attractive platform for new commercial opportunities. Match-day and non-cricket events are also being leveraged: our home ground offers major potential for hospitality, corporate and entertainment activity beyond domestic and international cricket fixtures.
That said: international match allocation remains a medium-term issue. As noted previously, we will need to continue diversifying revenue streams so that we are less dependent on a narrow set of fixtures.
Closing and the Way Forward
This year will be one we undoubtedly look back on as one of transformational change and opportunity. We have laid the groundwork for stronger performances and deeper engagement as well as broader sustainability.
There have been some incredible successes both on and off the pitch. For 2026 and beyond our priorities are clear. We must convert our promise in the men’s game into consistent challenge for trophies.
We will build on the women’s success to establish a sustained high-performance culture. We must ensure our Club infrastructure, governance and finances are robust and future proofed.
We will continue to make Yorkshire cricket even more inclusive, accessible and reflective of the county’s communities whilst simultaneously growing our commercial base to the level required to invest back into playing and pathways.
I want to express my sincere thanks to all our members, supporters, volunteers, staff, players and partners. Your voices matter and your continued backing and commitment gives us the confidence to aim higher. As ever, I encourage you to continually engage with us—come to matches, provide feedback and be a part of the Club we all love.
Here’s to 2026 and beyond.
Best wishes,
Sanjay Patel MBE
Group Chief Executive Officer, Yorkshire CCC
