By JMB
September 15 2006

Darren Lehmann has confirmed what all Yorkshire fans already new - the 2006 season will be his last for Yorkshire. The powerful Australian has played six seasons for the Tykes and is regarded highly by the Yorkshire public. Lehmann first strode out at Headingley in 1997 and has since scored 25 centuries for the White Rose county. Earlier this year, Lehmann was named in the Greatest Ever Yorkshire XI by The Yorkshire Post in a readers' competition.

Lehmann said: "I have had some great times playing for Yorkshire over the years and I have been honoured to wear the White Rose of this famous county. I will certainly miss the players, staff and supporters who have been fantastic to me over the years."

Stewart Regan, the Yorkshire chief executive, said: "Darren is not only a fantastic cricketer but is also a genuinely nice bloke who is adored by our fans. His contribution to this club has been immense and he will be sorely missed. However, he has made it known for a number of weeks that his body was struggling to cope with the demands of a rigorous first-class cricket schedule and this season was likely to be his last for Yorkshire. Having made up his mind, we fully respect his decision and thank him whole-heartedly for a magnificent Yorkshire career".

This Unofficial Yorkshire CCC site would like to thanks Darren for his performances and achievements for Yorkshire over the years and would like to wish him well for the future. We hope to see him at Headingley again and urge the club to maintain links with him in whatever capacity they see fit.

Lehmann has been the only overseas player to trully make his mark at Headingley. He is admired for his talent and his personality and will be missed by the Yorkshire public.

Yorkshire was famous for retaining the rule which meant that players must have been born within the county of Yorkshire. This rule was not dropped until 1992, and Yorkshire's results suffered through the seventies and eighties as other counties raced to sign major overseas stars.

Due to the lack of success on the field, this rule was firstly modified to allow those educated within the County to play (a dispensation used by Michael Vaughan) and then abandoned altogether.

Sachin Tendulkar was the first player to take advantage of this new freedom and became the first Asian to be selected for Yorkshire. Sachin was destined for greatness but was too young to achieve much success during his only season at the club.

Other overseas players to have worn the famous white rose cap include Australian middle order batsmen Michael Bevan, Australian paceman Jason Gillespie and West Indian Richie Richardson.

It is Lehmann though who has made the biggest mark of any of the overseas contingent. Now considered an honorary Yorkshireman (an acceptance not given to many by the Yorkshire public) Lehmann has given the cricket lovers in this county many wonderful memories. We have admired his attacking strokeplay, his obvious love of both the game and the county and will miss his good nature and friendliness.