MARTYN Moxon is backing Yorkshire’s players to overcome the potential inconvenience of missing out on a home quarter-final in the NatWest T20 Blast.

Yorkshire have confirmed that a scheduling clash with the Headingley Test Match next month means, should they qualify, they will have to play away in the last eight wherever they finish in the North Group table.

Headingley is under the control of the ECB and the ICC between August 21-29 for the England and West Indies Test, with the Blast quarter-finals to be played between August 22-25.

Yorkshire are currently top of the North Group with 10 points from seven matches, with the top two of four qualifiers from each group securing a home quarter.

As things stand, ahead of tonight’s trip to face Birmingham at Edgbaston, the Vikings are favourites to achieve that.

“We can’t do anything about it,” said Moxon, Yorkshire’s director of cricket.

“I guess this kind of thing could only happen in England with the fixture list as it is.

“If we get to that stage and earn the right to have a quarter-final, to not be able to have one because of the fixture - well, as I say, it could only happen on an English fixture list.”

No doubt, Moxon is frustrated with the situation, with Yorkshire set to miss out on the reward of another bumper home crowd.

But he denies it will have an adverse effect on the county’s title chances, highlighted by last season’s away win in the quarters over Glamorgan at Cardiff.

“I’m not saying it’s the end of the world, and we haven’t even got to the quarter-finals yet, never mind secured a top two finish,” said Moxon.

“Let’s not take that for granted.

“There is no reason why we can’t go away and win if that is the scenario, but it’s just a bit strange.”

Yorkshire’s attendances have been excellent during the last few weeks.

They topped 10,000 for the opening win over Nottinghamshire and had just over 9,000 in for Wednesday’s televised win over Durham.

It was put to Moxon that they could try and play a home quarter at a nearby venue such as Durham, but he continued: “I believe we are just going to play away.

“Clearly there’s nothing we can do.

“If you’ve earned the right to have a home quarter, you’d like to have that benefit of the home crowd.

“We’ve had some fantastic support so far in the competition.

“If you’ve won enough games to qualify, you’d like to have it. But, given the circumstances, it’s impossible to do.”

Yorkshire have won their last three matches, all at Headingley. In total, they have won their last eight Blast matches at Headingley dating back to last year.

Tonight, they face the first of back-to-back away matches against fellow contenders Birmingham (7pm).

The Bears are one of four teams below Yorkshire on eight points and could give a debut to batsman Adam Hose, who has signed from Somerset on a three-year contract with immediate effect.

The Vikings then travel to Trent Bridge to face Nottinghamshire on Sunday afternoon (2.30pm).

That will be Peter Handscomb’s last game before returning to Australia.

Moxon added: “We have played some good cricket, but we’ve still got a lot of work to do. We’re only halfway, and it’s still very close in terms of points.

“There’s a lot of teams very closely bunched."