Yorkshire are the 2022 Second XI county champions – for the fifth time outright in the club’s history.
The county secured the draw they needed in their final clash of the season against Kent at Folkstone earlier today before captain Matthew Fisher was presented with the trophy.
New coach Tom Smith led his side to success in his first season in charge, Yorkshire’s first second-team Championship title since 2003.
The four-day Championship was decided on an average points per game basis, and Yorkshire finished top on 18 from Glamorgan (17.5) in second having won five of nine games.
Yorkshire head coach Ottis Gibson said: “It’s a massive achievement for the club. Congratulations to Tom and his team, who have done a wonderful job.
“They’ve had to get guys in from here, there and everywhere with the amount of injuries that we’ve had to contend with.
“It’s something that says, ‘As rough as the summer has been, there’s a light still shining on what we’re trying to do as a new coaching group who’ve come into this club’.”
Left-arm spinner Harry Sullivan finished as the leading wicket-taker in the competition with 43, while there are two outstanding individual performances amongst the best in the country this summer.
Fin Bean scored 441 in a draw against Nottinghamshire at Lady Bay in June, the highest ever score in second-team cricket. The opener has since broken through into the county’s first-team.
Fisher also took 6-9 in last week’s Roses win over Lancashire at Blackpool. It was the England Test fast bowler’s comeback game following a back stress fracture suffered in April, and it proved the third best haul in the competition this summer.
Fisher is in line to return to first-team action in Monday’s LV= Insurance County Championship clash with Gloucestershire at Headingley.
Yorkshire were 207-7 chasing 303 on day four at Folkstone when rain prevented play after lunch. Fisher and co knew either a win or draw against a Kent side captained by James Logan would seal the deal.
