England’s two most successful clubs go head-to-head this weekend as Surrey and Yorkshire meet at Headingley
The match at Headingley is Surrey’s final Rothesay County Championship match before the start of the Vitality Blast. Surrey head into the match sat in third in the table, with Yorkshire sat in eighth.
HOW CAN I KEEP UP WITH PLAY?
The match will be broadcast live on Yorkshire’s YouTube channel, with a link placed on the Match Centre of the Kia Oval website. Regular clips and updates will be available on Surrey’s social media. A written match report and highlights will be available at the end of each day of play
SURREY SQUAD
13-players will travel to Leeds. Tom Lawes returns to the squad following a soft tissue injury.
Ollie Pope misses out with a thumb injury sustained in the draw at Nottinghamshire. Gus Atkinson also misses out with a concussion sustained in the same match.
Josh Blake is named in the squad for the first time this season.
LAST TIME OUT VS YORKS
Scarborough was the venue as Surrey and Yorkshire played out an entertaining draw. The hosts elected to bat first and posted 517 thanks to an unbeaten 110 from Matthew Revis. On the quickest scoring ground in the country, Surrey responded with 537 thanks to half-centuries from Rory Burns (78), Dom Sibley (52), Ryan Patel (92) and Josh Blake (72).
Despite time being lost in the match for rain, Surrey went on the attack in the third innings, with debutant Sai Kishore and Will Jacks bowling in tandem. Yorkshire were 120/5 before time ran out in the match and both teams shook hands.
YORKSHIRE
Previewed by Graham Hardcastle, ECB Reporters Network, supported by Rothesay
Captain: Jonny Bairstow
Head coach: Anthony McGrath
2025 finish: 7th
2025 leading run-scorer: Adam Lyth (1,173)
2025 leading wicket-taker: George Hill (51)
Key winter moves: Australia Test quick Jhye Richardson’s signing for April and May – potentially into June – has turned heads, while his Western Australia captain Sam Whiteman has penned a three-year all-format contract. Batter-keeper Whiteman, Doncaster-born, is local-qualified. Seam-bowling all-rounders Logan van Beek and Will Sutherland join Richardson as early-summer overseas signings. The returning Sutherland is only available for two June matches alongside his Blast commitments. Dawid Malan, Matt Milnes, Jonny Tattersall and Jordan Thompson have departed.
What we’re looking forward to seeing: Yorkshire, promoted in 2024, consolidated their Division One status last summer. After a slow start, three of their four wins came during the last seven matches, taking as many points as champions Nottinghamshire in that period. Now, it’s about pushing on to challenge the likes of Notts and Surrey over the full distance. They certainly have the firepower under captain Jonny Bairstow, with emerging talent such as George Hill, Will Luxton, Matthew Revis and James Wharton developing impressively.
Aiming to catch Test selectors’ eye: Top-order batter James Wharton, 25, recently earned his maiden Lions call-up on the curtailed Abu Dhabi trip. He has totalled 1,533 runs in 23 Rothesay County Championship matches across the last two seasons, including 2024 scores of 188 and 275. He contributed seven Division One half-centuries last season. An improved conversion rate could do wonders for him.
Final thought: A key factor in Yorkshire’s drive for success is always England availability. If Harry Brook and/or Joe Root can parachute in and rack up the runs ahead of the international summer beginning, then that could set the county on the right track for a first four-day title since 2015. That’s certainly the aim for coach Anthony McGrath, who tasted similar success in his Essex days.
