It’s early days but if the Tykes can sustain this form it will not only bring glory to Headingly, but a statement for true Yorkshire pride, because technically they would have done it without an overseas player.
As in the past, when true Yorkshiremen would make up the whole first 11, the White Rose has gone back to its roots and decided not to look abroad for this coming county season in the hope of a 32nd County Championship - and have got off to the best possible start in doing so.
While the romanticist would say it is a throwback to the good old days and a strong statement for English cricket if Yorkshire do perform well this year, the cynic would say it is down to finance. With no Test match at Leeds this year the club are looking at losses of £200,000, familiar with the general tone of county cricket at the moment. After losing the Kolpak services of South African Jacques Rudolph in the winter, they simply cannot afford an overseas player.
There is no shortage of cricket enthusiasm in Yorkshire, personified by the likes of Adil Rashid and Ajmal Shahzad. They are from a catchment area of cricket mad Yorkshiremen with Asian roots who will do nothing but help their county’s cause – unless they play more regularly for England.
Leg-spinner Rashid was indeed one of the heroes in the New Road victory after 11 wickets in the match and Shahzad, along with fellow Yorkshireman Tim Bresnan, had represented England in the World Cup.
But the other hero of their win was South African-born Gerard Brophy, who scored 177 in Yorkshire’s first innings. How can the former Proteas under 17s skipper be in a team full of Englishmen?
True Yorkshireman? South African-born Brophy scored 177 against the win over WorcestershireBrophy, who has also represented Ireland, holds a British passport, meaning he is not considered an overseas player. He therefore fits a stereotype alongside the likes of Kevin Pietersen, Jonathan Trott and new England recruit Jade Dernbach as a South African who can play for England. This group that has divided cricket supporters the world over.
On one hand you have a player who has embraced the nation they have lived in for a long time and made the most of their new opportunities. But on the other you have someone who has betrayed the country of their birth to manipulate the rules and sold their national pride.
Wicket-keeper Brophy may have served the residential requirements to become an Englishman, but he is now also carrying the stigma of being a proud Yorkshireman, something regularly not taught in the East Transvaal, or when turning out for Northants earlier in his career in England.
No doubt that if Yorkshire are to claim success in the Championship, they would want to send a message to teams who have recruited overseas players on short term deals that in can be done with local talent. But remember that Brophy shows they have made the most of the rules as any other county and one expects that if they had the money they would recruit abroad as well.
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