GO AND SHOW US YOU BELONG
Yorkshire chief Martyn Moxon lays down challenge to England bowler
NORTHANTS STEELBACKS V YORKSHIRE VIKINGS NATWEST TWENTY20 BLAST
YORKSHIRE boss Martyn Moxon is predicting big things from David Willey as he gets more matches under his belt.
England all-rounder Willey has had only 19 days’ first-team cricket this season.
The left-hander has played three one-day internationals, three Twenty20 internationals, three Royal London One-Day Cup matches, two County Championship games and two NatWest T20 Blast fixtures.
During that time, he has hit 124 runs in nine innings and taken 13 wickets.
Willey was not needed by England during the Champions Trophy, while he has not been a firstchoice in Yorkshire’s four-day side.
It has been a frustrating period for a player who now hopes to benefit from an extended run in the county’s T20 team, continuing with tonight’s trip to face his former club Northants at Wantage Road (6.30 start).
“The more Dave plays, the better he gets,” said Moxon. “We saw that last year. “When he’s playing regularly, he’s an outstanding cricketer, but it’s not easy when your season is stop-starting.
“It’s difficult for any cricketer when you’re not playing regularly.
“It’s hard to find the rhythm, both with bat and ball.
“Obviously, the Champions Trophy took place recently, and although it was great for Dave to be a part of that, if you’re not playing, it’s difficult mid-season to pick up that rhythm.
“It’s just the way that circumstances have fallen.
“Dave is obviously a big player for us in one-day cricket, and he has had a couple of good games in the T20 so far.”
Willey struck 25 from 13 balls as Yorkshire began the tournament with a superb 48-run win over Notts at Headingley.
He followed up with 42 from 28 deliveries in a three-run defeat to Derbyshire at Chesterfield, where he looked like a man running into form.
“When you look at it, Dave’s not batted much this season,” added Moxon.
“Until now, he just hasn’t had a run of games.
“It’s very difficult to not have any match innings and then suddenly to smack it everywhere in T20. But Dave has made a good start already, and he just needs regular cricket to play at his best.”
Willey helped Yorkshire to T20 Finals Day last year.
He hit 272 runs in 11 matches at 27 and captured nine wickets at 23; his swashbuckling 79 helped to win the quarter-final against Glamorgan in Cardiff.
Earlier this season, Willey admitted to feeling unsettled by his lack of regular cricket.
“It’s been a funny one,” he reflected.
“You’re dropping in and out of formats and having a slightly different role in each.
“It’s something I’m adapting to, but I am loving being part of Yorkshire and playing for them.”
Willey accepts that he must work hard to become a regular at Yorkshire in all three formats.
The 27-year-old has played only six Championship games since arriving at Headingley last year, contributing 85 runs at 12 and 13 wickets at 37, and he is primarily seen as a white-ball specialist.
“I had a fairly important role at Northants, and I knew what I was doing game-in, game-out, whereas at Yorkshire, knowing I’m not guaranteed a spot in the side and dropping in and out with England, it’s hard to get a bit of rhythm,” he said recently.
“I don’t feel I’ve played that much for Yorkshire, which is a shame. Hopefully, in the next few years, I’ll be able to play more and contribute with both the bat and the ball.”
Willey will be hoping for more chances to play Championship cricket next year after the retirement this September of fellow left-armer Ryan Sidebottom.
Depending on his international commitments, Willey might even feature later this summer, with the club struggling for form in red-ball cricket and with places potentially up for grabs.
Andrew Gale, the Yorkshire first team coach, admits that his fourth-placed side have been struggling of late in the four-day tournament.
However, he is optimistic that a good T20 campaign can then see them finish off the Championship season strongly.
“We’ve had a couple of bad weeks in the Championship and haven’t been at our best,” said Gale, whose side return to fourday action against Essex at Scarborough on August 6.
“But we’ve got a break for T20 now, and it’s probably come at a good time for us.
“Twenty20 is about enjoyment, it’s about having fun, putting on a good show and it can free players up.
“Hopefully, this little break from Championship cricket, and a little bit of enjoyment in the T20, might get a few players back into form.”
Tonight, Yorkshire face a Northants team who have also won one and lost one in T20.
The Steelbacks opened their campaign with a seven-wicket defeat to Derbyshire at Wantage Road before beating Durham by six wickets at Chester-le-Street.
Yorkshire (from): Bresnan (captain), Coad, Fisher, Handscomb, Kohler-Cadmore, Leaning, Lyth, Marsh, Patterson, Rafiq, Rashid, Waite, Willey.
It’s difficult for any cricketer when you’re not playing regularly. Yorkshire director of cricket, Martyn Moxon on all-rounder David Willey.