By JMB
September 9 2006

David Byas believes that the pride within the Yorkshire side will help them stave off the threat of relegation this season. Byas said "I know people will expect me to say that we can stay up and to talk up the positives, but I genuinely believe that the pride is there." Byas added "That pride in Yorkshire, along with the pride the players have in their own performances, fills me with the confidence that we can live to fight another day. The lads scrapped bloody hard last year to get into Division One and I have no doubt they will scrap bloody hard now to make sure we stay there. There are no guarantees in any walk of life, but I honestly believe we can get out of trouble because there is so much pride within that dressing room. We haven't performed well enough this year; everyone knows that. I'm not going to lie about it and try to pull the wool over people's eyes, and the end of the season will be the right time to look back on things and to assess the situation in proper detail. But we could still be looking back on a brilliant finish to this year and looking ahead to First Division cricket again next summer, and we mustn't lose sight of that achievable goal. It's no use accepting the situation and taking it on the chin; our fate remains very much in our own hands and it's going to come down to sheer bloody-mindedness."

Byas maintained a collective effort was now required, adding: "We've got to deliver big-style in these last three matches. I don't believe my squad are of relegation ilk, but the game is played on the pitch, not on the team-sheet. Although there are various reasons why we haven't performed this year, that certainly doesn't make it easier to accept. I've lifted the Championship title at this club with probably six of the guys in the squad at present, so there's bound to be a lot of frustration around the place. The bottom line is that I'm ambitious and impatient, just like the players, and I'd much rather be talking about needing to win our last few games to wrap up the Championship title, as opposed to needing to win them to avoid relegation. But I believe in the lads and will back them to the hilt. As long as the pride is there, we've got a chance."