A single structure management team is to be set up at Headingley Carnegie Stadium to run cricket and rugby combined and should be in place by next January.

It will help to unite Yorkshire CCC and the rugby ground's owners Leeds Cricket, Football and Athletic Company.

Although Yorkshire this year bought the cricket ground off Leeds CFAC, it left several problem areas between the two parties still to be sorted out and a joint management team should result in far greater co-operation.

This will be of particular benefit when Yorkshire and Leeds CFAC get together to rebuild the grandstand, one side of which looks on to cricket and the other rugby.

Further details will be announced in due course and it is likely a stadium manager will be appointed shortly.

Yorkshire are looking to have several new initiatives in place by next season.

A new membership programme is to be launched over the next few weeks and a Headingley Carnegie Rewards Scheme will offer special benefits to members.

In addition, children will be admitted free of charge to Yorkshire games next summer, provided they are accompanied by a suitable adult, and electronic cards will be used to access turnstiles.

Craig White, who stood down as captain last week after the final match of the season, presented the players' awards at the club's end-of-season dinner in the Headingley long-room.

Anthony McGrath received the players' player of the year award and the Bradford-born star also picked up the fielding prize.

McGrath scored 1,293 runs in the County Championship and held 18 catches at slip, with director of cricket David Byas saying that England's loss had been Yorkshire's gain.

Another Bradford-born player, 18-year-old Adil Rashid, shared the young player award with his leg-spin colleague Mark Lawson, the pair taking 51 wickets between them in the second half of the season.

The player of the year award went to former Cleckheaton batsman Andrew Gale, who was a prolific scorer for the Second XI as well as hitting 149 for the first team against Warwickshire at Scarborough.

Yorkshire have not renewed the playing contract of long-serving wicketkeeper-batsman Richard Blakey.

He made his debut in 1985 and went on to play in 339 first-class matches for the county, scoring 14,150 runs and taking 768 catches plus 56 stumpings.

Whether Blakey remains with Yorkshire solely in a coaching capacity will not be resolved until he has had further talks with the Management Board once he returns from holiday.

Huddersfield-born Blakey, who will be 40 in January, last played for Yorkshire in 2003, after which he was appointed captain and manager of the Second XI until assisting Byas with first-team coaching duties from the start of last season.

He remained on the books as a registered player, though, and that carried with it significant earnings, which will be reduced if he stays solely as a coach.

Yorkshire chief executive Stewart Regan said the Board were currently discussing the whole cricket side of their operations and further statements would be put out when decisions had been reached.

He confirmed they were still looking at who to appoint as captain for next season in place of White and the subject of overseas players also remains under discussion.

Australian-born fast bowler Mitchell Claydon will not be rejoining Yorkshire next season after his request for improved terms were rejected because it was well in excess of the club's salary structure.

Claydon joined on trial on Phil Jaques' recommendation in 2005 and, after being given a 12-month deal, he played in a handful of first-team matches before breaking down with a stress fracture of the back.