Yorkshire batsmen urged to get the attention of Chris Silverwood and earn England Test spots

TEST CANDIDATE? Yorkshire's Gary Ballance could feature again on the international stage, says Martyn Moxon.
Picture: Bruce Rollinson — TEST CANDIDATE? Yorkshire's Gary Ballance could feature again on the international stage, says Martyn Moxon. Picture: Bruce Rollinson

YORKSHIRE director of cricket Martyn Moxon believes a number of the county’s players have an opportunity to impress and work themselves into the England reckoning within the next 12 months.

The appointment of former Yorkshire fast bowler Chris Silverwood as the national team’s new head coach to replace Australian Trevor Bayliss has coincided with a renewed emphasis on improving the fortunes of the Test team.

It follows a summer where the England one-day side emerged as World Cup champions and continued to be a force to be reckoned with in T20.

But while the Test team under the leadership of Yorkshire’s Joe Root fought back to level the Ashes series this year, they were the first not to win on home soil against Australia since 2001.

Yorkshire's Adam Lyth sored a Test century against New Zealand in 2015, but has not played for England since that summer's Ashes Test series win. Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com

The ECB management have readily admitted that it is the inconsistency of the Test set-up that needs addressing more than any other format and Moxon believes it is not too late for former England batsmen Gary Ballance and Adam Lyth to force their way back into the line-up.

Ballance has enjoyed the longer Test career, averaging 37.35 in 23 games, but he has not figured since July 2017 when he played two games against South Africa.

Lyth’s time in the five-day format has been more fleeting, playing seven Tests in 2015, scoring a century in one of two matches against New Zealand before enduring a tough time in that summer’s Ashes series where, in five games, his top score was just 37, leaving him with an average of just over 20 and on the outside ever since.

“Both of them have shown that they are capable of playing at that level,” said Moxon. “Adam got a Test hundred and then came up against a very strong Australian attack, which was tough.

KNOCKING ON THE DOOR: Yorkshire's Tom Kohler-Cadmore. Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com

“But there’s no reason that if he gets the volume of runs that he is capable of in county cricket that the selectors won’t take a look at him. If we continue to struggle to find top-order batsmen for England – then why not? They are both going to talked about if they score the runs.

“Gary obviously had a good season for us this year in the Championship. He started out really well and his first half of the season was outstanding – he got five hundreds on the bounce.

“But for both of them, the only way back – if at all – is through sheer weight of runs, to get themselves into a position to be selected.”

As for other Yorkshire players who could play themselves into contention, Moxon said that Tom Kohler-Cadmore – who proved the most consistent batsmen across all three formats in 2019 – is one of those knocking on the door.

Martyn Moxon, with former England head coach, Trevoe Bayliss. Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com

“Tom definitely has the potential,” added Moxon. “Obviously he’s been on the radar with the England Lions recently, so I know he is very much in their thoughts but, again, it is about volume of runs.

“If Tom plays like he did in the last game of the season when he scored 165 not out and repeats that kind of performance two or three times, he’s going to be mentioned.”