Yorkshire v Glamorgan: Labuschagne set to face Bairstow at Headingley
- Published
Jonny Bairstow has played for Yorkshire's second string in his bid to regain fitness
LV= County Championship, Division Two: Yorkshire v Glamorgan |
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Venue: Headingley Date: Thursday, 4 May Time: 11:00 BST |
Coverage: Commentary and reports on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Sport website & app; updates on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio 5 Sports Extra, ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio Leeds & ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio Wales. |
Glamorgan's Australian batter Marnus Labuschagne will face potential Ashes rival Jonny Bairstow against Yorkshire at Leeds in their Championship match.
Bairstow returns to senior cricket for the first time since breaking his leg in a freak accident while playing golf last September.
Bairstow hopes to be fit the Ashes series.
Glamorgan fast bowler Michael Neser is on stand-by for the second part of the five-match summer Test series.
Bairstow, 33, played in Yorkshire's most recent second XI match against Warwickshire, hitting 97 and 57 as well as keeping wicket for part of the match.
He could challenge Ben Foakes for the England wicket-keeper's slot as well as being considered as a specialist batter.
His comeback will strengthen a Yorkshire side with a draw, a defeat and an abandoned match in the first month of the season, extending their run without a first-class victory to more than a year.
But his return is welcomed by Glamorgan coach Matthew Maynard, a former England batting coach.
"Jonny is a class player who suffered a horrendous injury last September so it's great to see him back playing. He had two good knocks last week for Yorkshire twos," Maynard told ´óÏó´«Ã½ Sport Wales.
"When you come across Jonny Bairstow it's always great because they're the type of players the county boys want to aspire to.
"It would be nice if we get him out cheaply twice. but he's a class player, a great bloke and we wish him well for the summer in the Ashes.
"We're concentrating on the areas we want to bowl," said Maynard, who will choose from an unchanged squad after the club's third consecutive draw, away to Leicestershire.
"You want to play against some of the best players in the world so a good challenge for us as a group, especially the bowling unit," added Glamorgan captain David Lloyd.
"We've played on some pitches that were dead at times but we go to Headingley with a bit of confidence and we'd love to get a win on the board."
The last Yorkshire-Glamorgan match in early 2021 was affected by a heavy snowfall, which wiped out two sessions of play.
"We were in a really good position last time at Headingley and the weather came in at the wrong time but the lads have got some good memories there," Lloyd said.
West Indies wicket-keeper/batter Shai Hope has ended his brief three-match spell at Yorkshire.
Yorkshire (from): Lyth (c), Bean, Shakeel, Bairstow, Malan, Hill, Tattersall, Bess, Thompson, Fisher, Edwards, Coad, Revis, Wharton.
Glamorgan (from): Lloyd, Byrom, Labuschagne, Northeast, Carlson, Root, Cooke, Neser, Salter, van der Gugten, McIlroy, Douthwaite, Harris.