Australian fast bowler Jhye Richardson will start Yorkshire’s County Championship campaign after agreeing a short-term deal that covers the opening six rounds, running through to mid-May.
The 29-year-old, capped four times at Test level, gives the Division One side extra pace while the pitches are still fresh and helpful to seam. Yorkshire expect Cricket Australia to keep an eye on his workload, so it is unlikely he will feature in every match.
Richardson’s recent record is a mixed bag. He returned to Sheffield Shield cricket only this month, taking six wickets at 34.16 across two outings for Western Australia. His Ashes appearance at the MCG – his first Test for four years – produced a couple of brisk spells but also reminded selectors of his injury history. Overall, he has 13 Test wickets at 21.00 and 37 international caps across formats.
Yorkshire is hardly an alien environment for him. Fellow Western Australians Sam Whiteman and AJ Tye have also signed for the club, offering at least a few familiar voices in the Headingley dressing-room.
“I’m really pleased to be joining Yorkshire,” said Richardson. “The history of the club and of Headingley goes without saying so to be coming here and playing red ball cricket for the first time is an immense privilege. Speaking with the coaches gave me a great sense of what the group are looking to achieve this year and I’m ready to get over and get started.”
General manager of cricket Gavin Hamilton echoed that optimism. “Jhye is a very impressive bowler who has performed exceptionally well, and he will really complement the team for that important first part of the season. His skillsets are ones suited to English conditions, and he can make things happen with that ability to push his speed into the high 80s. Getting Jhye is a huge boost for us, and his quality underlines our ambition to build a squad capable of seriously competing in the County Championship. He’s a proven player and we’re thrilled to have secured him”.
Richardson’s arrival follows the signing of Dutch all-rounder Logan van Beek, also lined up for the opening eight rounds. Add in seamer Jack White, who recently extended his deal after claiming 42 wickets at 23.14 last summer, and Yorkshire have quietly assembled a varied attack.
How often Richardson actually takes the new ball will hinge on fitness checks from Perth and the vagaries of an English spring. Even so, a bowler capable of touching 90mph – roughly 145kph – with a skiddy, stump-targeting style should trouble early-season batters. For a side keen to re-establish itself among the title contenders, that feels a sensible, if carefully managed, gamble.
