Fast bowler Iain Wardlaw has signed a contract with Yorkshire until the end of the 2012 summer.

The 26-year-old turned the head of Andrew Gale with his performances for Cleckheaton in the JCT600 Bradford League, where the Yorkshire skipper learnt his trade as a left-handed batsman.

But his remarkable rise from an office worker to a county pro within the space of a fortnight has come at the expense of Cleckheaton team-mate James Lee, who has been released by the White Rose.

Lee, 22, has been relieved of his duties after playing only two County Championship and 40-over matches in five-and-a-half seasons at Headingley.

Having promised so much as a 17-year-old debutant, the former England under-19 seamer is now looking to get his career back on track by playing in the Minor Counties Championship for Suffolk.

In the meantime, Wardlaw is looking to build on his promising debut in Sunday’s Friends Life t20 defeat against Nottinghamshire, when he took the wickets of Bangladesh blaster Tamim Iqbal and Riki Wessels in the space of four balls.

“I’d like to push on and play Championship cricket,” said Wardlaw, who has given up his job in the accounts department of a graphic design company.

“I’ve got a lot of work to do on my game, which hopefully I can do in the seconds over the next few weeks and months.

“Second-team cricket is where you put the work in. Hopefully it pays off and gets you a place in the first team.”

Wardlaw has taken 68 wickets in two-and-a-half seasons of Bradford League cricket, something which went a long way to Gale getting in touch.

He explained: “I’ve been in and around the set-up at Yorkshire for the last six months or so. I trained all winter with the guys. I was probably around for 60 per cent of the time by taking holidays from my work to train and play as much as I could.

“I know Galey from him playing at the same club as me at Cleckheaton, and he obviously keeps an eye out for players, which has worked out for me.

“He texted me one day and asked if I fancied a net. When I turned up, I was in with the firsts. I bowled pretty well, and it’s all gone from there.”

Wardlaw will hope to retain his place for Wednesday's must-win t20 match against Leicestershire at Headingley.