Yorkshire CCC offer second chance to Harrogate batsman Jonny Tattersall

Former England U19s vice captain Jonny Tattersall has received a second chance to cut his cloth at Yorkshire CCC.
Jonny Tattersall batting for Yorkshire 2ndsJonny Tattersall batting for Yorkshire 2nds
Jonny Tattersall batting for Yorkshire 2nds

Tattersall has signed a short-term contract at Headingley until the end of June - 18 months after he was released by the county.

The 22-year-old has been the highest runscorer at Yorkshire League level in recent seasons, scoring over 2,000 runs for Harrogate in the last three summers.

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Yorkshire has also tied youngsters Karl Carver, Jared Warner, Matthew Waite and Joshua Shaw down to extended deals until December 2018.

Director of cricket Martyn Moxon said: "They are the future of the club going forward and this gives them a little bit of peace of mind that they’re with us for another couple of years.

"It gives them the opportunity to improve and challenge for places in the first team.”

Tattersall had been predicted as a future star for Yorkshire as a junior and featured in the same England U19s squad as White Rose teammate Will Rhodes.

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Having played his junior cricket at Knaresborough CC, Tattersall moved to Yorkshire League side Harrogate when he signed a two-year junior contract at Headingley.

He has prospered in the number three position for the spa town club and scored 1,347 runs in his second season at St George's Road - averaging 67.35.

Jason Gillespie handed the young batsman his county debut in a one-day match against Glamorgan in 2013 but he fell for a duck.

And further opportunities at Yorkshire were not forthcoming as he struggled to convert his Saturday league form into second team cricket.

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Tattersall was released at the end of his two-year senior contract and had hoped to find solace at another county.

He played minor counties cricket last summer for Lincolnshire, scoring four half centuries in five matches, and featured for Derbyshire's second team.

He also helped Harrogate win the inaugural Yorkshire League North, where they lost in the county-wide semi-finals.

Yorkshire's batting options are thin on the ground following Andrew Gale's step up to head coach and the continued international involvement of Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow.

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Injuries to bowlers Ryan Sidebottom, Liam Plunkett and Jack Brooks also leaves the bowling attack short of experience and Carver, Waite and Shaw have been backed to step up by Moxon.

Moxon added: “We’ve talked about this a lot in pre-season. The challenge is for the younger lads to show some consistency and push for places in the first XI.

"Given that we’ve got a few injuries to our bowlers at the moment, it has given them an opportunity to do that whilst we’re here.

"We try to identify the best young players in the county and to mould them and develop them into Yorkshire cricketers, and hopefully England cricketers in the future. It’s always pleasing if we get one of our lads through the system and playing first-team cricket.

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“We’ve got a very good and strong group of senior players at the moment but they can’t play forever. It’s important these young lads are ready when they get the opportunity to take over from them and that they maintain the success we’ve had in the last four or five years.”