Gale must wait for Yorkshire comeback

By Graham Hardcastle

Captain Andrew Gale will continue his spell on the sidelines when second-placed Yorkshire travel to Chesterfield for Wednesday’s LV= County Championship clash with Division Two leaders Derbyshire.

The left-handed batsman has been out of action due to a hip-muscle injury since a Friends Life t20 clash between the two counties at Derby’s County Ground on June 18.

He then suffered a setback in the nets in his bid to return for the latter stages of the North Division campaign, which thus ruled him out of last week’s Championship draw against Hampshire at Southampton.

It is hoped that Gale will be fit for Sunday’s Clydesdale Bank 40 match against Derbyshire at Chesterfield’s Queen’s Park ground, which would pave the way for him returning to the top of the order in Yorkshire’s FLt20 quarter-final against Worcestershire at Headingley next Wednesday (July 25).

Yorkshire will have Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc available to them for the 40-over match against the Falcons before he plays in the quarter-final and then possibly the Championship match against Leicestershire at Grace Road, starting on July 27.

But Starc will not be available for a potential appearance at Finals Day on August 25 after being named in Australia’s one-day and Twenty20 squads for their tour of the United Arab Emirates, which includes a one-day international against Afghanistan at Sharjah on the same day.

Yorkshire trail Derbyshire by 25 points in the race for Championship promotion with both sides having played nine of their 16 fixtures. Phil Jaques will continue with the captaincy duties.


Date: 16/07/2012 22:51:43 by Graham Hardcastle
In: Yorkshire | Today | Derbyshire |