By Gary Watton
August 4 2014

August 1914 was a 'massive' month in world history. Well, August 2014 could prove to be a huge month in the story of Yorkshire County Cricket Club. The Tykes will hope to secure at least one win from their two County Championship engagements while also making overdue progress in one-day cricket, in the new Royal London One-Day Cup.

For the latter competition, the quartet of Leaning, Lees, Rashid, and Williamson have already recorded encouraging half centuries. It is important that Adam Lyth and Andrew Gale do likewise, sooner rather than later. When your team wins, your own low score can be camouflaged or whitewashed by the actual triumph. However, it is not quite so easy to paper over the cracks when they are partially responsible for a defeat. If the Tykes should lose on their next fifty-overs outing, away to Northamptonshire, and one of the aforementioned duo fails again with the bat, then it is only right and proper to upgrade the in-form Dan Hodgson to the first eleven. Daniel did after all continue his fine recent form with a splendid half century in the home defeat last week to Sri Lanka A. It simply won't do to hold back talented reserves when the first choices are not pulling their weight.

Unfortunately the same won't be said for Oliver Robinson. This gent has been abruptly shown the exit door and had his contract terminated with immediate effect by his employers, who are refusing to add any comment and elaborate on the reason[s] for Robinson's dismissal. Clearly he must have said or done something extremely naughty to warrant such drastic action.

Elsewhere, Josh Shaw took six wickets for a loss of 103 runs in the Under-19 test against the South African equivalents. However, I think that Matt Fisher's far more economical bowling in that same match was infinitely more impressive than Shaw who ran through the tail but not before he had been conceding a wayward five runs per over. I will never understand how people always seem to value bowlers who have little control in their bowling ahead of those who concede very few easy runs.