Yorkshire may have plenty of players undergoing dark and gloomy pre-season training down at Headingley currently, but several of their first-team squad are enjoying sunnier climes in matches abroad.

Matthew Revis claimed five wickets, including a first-innings 4-41, for Gold Coast Dolphins in their two-day clash with Ipswich upon the resumption of club cricket in Australia after Christmas.

Their clash took place last weekend, with Revis enjoying more success with the ball than the bat in a defeat. 

James Wharton has been back in action for Wanneroo in Perth, scoring 11 in a 50-over defeat against Scarborough last weekend.

They return to two-day action this weekend.

Over in Africa, Dom Bess has returned to Zimbabwe to play for the Southern Rocks team.

Yorkshire’s off-spinning all-rounder featured in two first-class and as many List A fixtures for them from late November through to mid-December, enjoying success with bat and ball. 

They currently sit top of the four-day Logan Cup table after four matches.

In his last appearance – a win over the Tuskers – he hit a pair of half-centuries batting at three and took a second-innings 4-8.

The Rocks resume their campaign next week.

Meanwhile, Yorkshire coach Ottis Gibson has travelled to the United Arab Emirates to resume his assistant coach’s duties with the Gulf Giants team in the ILT20 event, which got underway on Friday.

Gibson helped the Giants win the inaugural event this time last year as an aide to head coach Andy Flower, and he has taken up the same role again having recovered from knee replacement surgery in October.

The Bajan left on Tuesday, and – as he did last year – has taken a couple of Yorkshire bowlers out with him to be around the squad and take part in an effective mini training camp.

Seamers Matt Milnes and Ben Cliff have both travelled. Neither are in the Giants squad itself, but will be in the Gulf for close to the next fortnight.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Matt Milnes has had a torrid time with injury since joining Yorkshire, but this bout of warm weather training in the UAE should hopefully help with his fitness levels.Matt Milnes has had a torrid time with injury since joining Yorkshire, but this bout of warm weather training in the UAE should hopefully help with his fitness levels. (Image: Ray Spencer.)

The competition runs through until February 17, with the matches televised in the UK on Zee TV – Sky channel 709 or 809 on Virgin Media. 

Ali Maiden is overseeing the running of winter training until Gibson returns to Headingley.

Jordan Thompson is a fully fledged squad member in the same competition for the MI Emirates team, returning to them for the second year running. 

Dawid Malan and Adil Rashid, meanwhile, are both involved in the South African T20 competition, which started earlier this week. 

Malan is playing for defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape, while Rashid has returned to the Pretoria Capitals.

That competition, running to February 10, is being televised by Sky Sports.  

Finally, lead strength and conditioning coach Harry Booker has organised a post training squad darts competition for the Yorkshire squad members that are currently still in England, which is ongoing, one of a number of innovative ideas he has come up with during the off-season.

Yorkshire’s assistant head coach Maiden said: “Harry has got a real bug for organising stuff at the minute, which is fantastic.. 

“Pre-Christmas, he organised a mini-training camp in Stirling, where he used to work with British Curling at the Scottish Institute of Sport.

“He arranged for us to do some curling with a gold medallist, we did a park run the next morning and a hike as well.

“He’s also had the lads in with a body builder in Leeds as something else different – teaching them how to pose with tops off and everything.

“He works them really hard and then comes up with something completely different after training every Thursday to have a bit of fun. The lads just love it.”