4:24pm Thursday 9th July 2009
By Graham Hardcastle
Martyn Moxon has revealed the last few weeks have been his most difficult as Yorkshire’s director of professional cricket.
The White Rose county have slipped down the LV County Championship Division One table and are in a relegation battle, while they also failed to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Twenty20 Cup despite a good start to their North Division campaign.
A season that has also seen the county fail to qualify for the knockout stages of the Friends Provident Trophy sank to a new low last Friday when Somerset chased down 476 on the final day to win the Championship clash at Taunton.
“I had some challenging times when I was at Durham, but, certainly, since I have been back at Yorkshire this has been the most difficult period,” said the former England opener.
Moxon, who faces his old county Durham in the Championship at Headingley starting tomorrow, has done a good job since returning in the winter of 2007, steadying a sinking ship after a disastrous winter off the field in his first season.
He then led the White Rose to the semi-final of the Friends Provident Trophy last year, clinching promotion to the Pro40 League Division One a few months later.
It even prompted former England captain Mike Gatting to link his name to the England job which Andy Flower got earlier this year.
But things have hit the buffers this term. Yorkshire, adding to their one-day failings, have not won a four-day game all season.
Moxon, like captain Anthony McGrath, blames the dip in form on a lack of consistency: “To win three days of a Championship match is not enough at this level,” he said.
“For two and a half years while I have been back we have created plenty of chances to win matches, but have not been able to follow them through.”
Moxon had mixed feelings leaving Taunton last week. He admitted that he was “delighted” with his young side’s performance for three days.
“It was certainly a difficult fourth day for them, but they (the youngsters) will be better for that experience in the long term,” he continued.
“Durham will be a strong test for us this weekend, and it would be a big confidence booster if we can get a result against them but I am not sure we are lacking confidence. We outplayed Somerset for three days on their home ground.”
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