Yorkshire 2026 County Championship Full Season Preview
- Mar 28
- 5 min read
by Ronan Alexander & The Cricket Draft
With the cricket season fast approaching, now is the time to ensure you and your club are covered! Don’t risk the season with under insurance & outdated valuations; contact ASI, the specialist sports broker and PCA partner, to get your club or your own policy sorted before the first ball is bowled.
County Championship Values for 2026
Banker, Wildcard, Young Gun & England Watch
Banker: George Hill (ALR) £7.4m
He was Yorkshire’s star man last year and has high match involvement, bowling a lot of overs while batting in the middle order. His 51 wickets last season set a high bar, but his returns will still be good if he gets even remotely close to that again. George also added 420 runs with the bat, which included four half-centuries and a top score of 88. He averages 30.5 with the bat over his career but only averaged 22.1 last year, so he will definitely be targeting offering even more with the bat in hand.
Wildcard: Sam Whiteman (WKT) £7.0m
A new signing who provides a new opening partner for Adam Lyth. Whiteman has been playing in the Sheffield Shield over the winter and at the time of writing had 392 runs to his name, including a century and two fifties. Lyth will likely be the most popular batting choice at Yorkshire, along with Bairstow and Wharton (as a cheaper option), but Whiteman provides that “left-field” wildcard choice as someone who is essentially an overseas player.
Young Gun: Will Luxton (BAT) £5.2m
A 22-year-old middle-order batter who made three appearances last season with a top score of 71; he will be looking to add more appearances this term. Valued at £4.4m in 2025, he provided a great budget choice, and although he has risen in cost, he is potentially very good value still, BUT selecting him will come with risk as he we have no idea how many opportunities he is expected to get. Bairstow’s availability may limit Luxton slightly, so he will need to take his chance when it comes around.
England Watch: Matthew Revis (ALR) £6.3m
Had a solid season last year, especially with the bat, and will be looking to add more wickets to his game. He ended the year averaging 63.83, including three impressive centuries and a mammoth 152 not out. He is already on England’s radar, having played three times over the winter for the England Lions in Australia. He was valued at only £5.7m last year across 11 matches, so his form with the bat and England recognition has seen a rise in his value to £6.3m.
Potential Starting XI for GW 1
2025 Review
Yorkshire ended last season in seventh place, safely slotted within the mid-table. They finished 24 points above the relegation zone and only 13 points behind third-placed Somerset, a testament to how evenly matched and competitive the division was.
During the second half of the season, Yorkshire really found their rhythm and eased any lingering relegation worries. They went undefeated in their final seven games; victories over Essex, Sussex, and Durham, combined with four draws, secured their mid-table position.
George Hill and Jack White led the pace attack, supported by Ben Coad and Jordan Thompson. Dom Bess spearheaded the spin department, with Dan Moriarty chipping in when called upon. Adam Lyth was the standout performer with the bat, while Jonny Bairstow, James Wharton, and Matthew Revis all broke the 700-run barrier. Since none of their overseas players featured in more than three games last year, having Jhye Richardson available will be vital this time around. Similarly, Sam Whiteman will feel like a fresh overseas-caliber addition, despite being on a domestic contract.
2025 Stat Attack
George Hill: Hill was a standout performer, securing the second-most points last season with 2,506. He also proved pivitol with the ball, collecting 51 wickets in total, the fourth-highest tally in the division. Furthermore, his points-per-game average was the fifth-highest overall for any player featuring in more than three matches.
Adam Lyth: The veteran opener continued his prolific form, finishing as the fifth-highest run-scorer with 1,173 runs. He maintained an impressive average of 51, a campaign highlighted by three centuries.
Matthew Revis: Revis solidified his status as a premier batting all-rounder, recording the 11th-most runs for players in that category. Notably, only two players ranked above him were considered “cheaper options” in terms of value. He also boasted the sixth-highest points-per-game for all-rounders valued at £6.0m or less.
Jack White: In a stellar debut season for the club, White finished as the 11th-highest wicket-taker in the division, claiming 42 wickets.
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Player Ins & Outs
Yorkshire have kept the core of their squad for the new season, with the primary new arrival being Jhye Richardson. Richardson looks like an excellent acquisition as an overseas bowler, provided he can remain injury-free. Australian opening batter Sam Whiteman also joins the ranks, though he does so on a domestic contract. For the Vitality Blast, the seam attack is bolstered by AJ Tye and Naveen-ul-Haq, while England international Moeen Ali also arrives on a white-ball-only contract from Warwickshire.
Additionally, Logan van Beek has signed for the county following an impressive spell at Leicestershire last summer. Moving in the opposite direction is wicketkeeper Jonny Tattersall, who has joined Leicestershire. Other departures include Dawid Malan to Gloucestershire and Matt Milnes, who has signed for Kent. Perhaps the most significant loss is Jordan Thompson; a consistently solid performer with both bat and ball across all formats, he has left to link up with Warwickshire.
2026 Fixtures
Yorkshire travel to Wales on the opening day of the season to take on Glamorgan, before returning for their first home match against Hampshire. April concludes with Sussex visiting Headingley, followed by consecutive away fixtures in May against Somerset and Warwickshire. They then finish the month at home against Surrey. June features the first of their home games at an out-ground as they face Warwickshire at Scarborough, followed by a trip to Leicestershire. In August, the schedule consists of a visit to Hampshire before welcoming Leicestershire for a second fixture at Scarborough. September looks difficult on paper; the club faces Surrey away, followed by home games against Essex and Somerset, before traveling to Trent Bridge for the final match of the season.
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