Gary Yates

The Red Rose meets the White on Wednesday 9th January when Lancashire's Gary Yates will be crossing the Pennines to join us. 

Educated at Manchester Grammar School, where England captain Michael Atherton was a classmate, Gary has spent his entire career with the Red Rose county and was awarded a well-deserved benefit in 2005. 'Gary has been a loyal servant to Lancashire County Cricket Club, said then chairman Jack Simmons. [He] is just the sort of cricketer benefits were designed for.'

Playing alongside the likes of Atherton, Andrew Flintoff, Wasim Akram, John Crawley and Neil Fairbrother, Gary's economical off-spin and reliable lower order batting made him a key member of Lancashire's all-conquering one-day side of the mid-1990s, winners of the B&H Cup in 1995 and 1996, the Natwest Trophy in 1996 and 1998, and the AXA League title in 1998 and 1999. In fact, in company with wicket-keeper Warren Hegg, it was Gary who guided his team to the first of those triumphs in a narrow 2-wicket semi-final win over Worcestershire. 

 

And of course in recent years he's had a close-up view of fellow spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, the leading wicket-taker in both Test and ODI matches, during the Sri Lankan's several spells at Old Trafford.
 
Now Lancashire's Assistant Coach, Gary looks after the county's highly successful Second XI, winners of the Second XI Trophy in 2012 after three successive years as runners-up. The club's home-produced youngsters also figured prominently in its 2011 County Championship success – its first for 77 years – and spinner Simon Kerrigan will be joining Yorkshire's Joe Root and Gary Ballance on the upcoming England Lions Tour of South Africa.

Gary has asked for advance notice of our questions so his answers can be as full and informed as possible. What do you want to know? Gary's view of Yorkshire's emerging talent? His assessment of England's performance in India? The impact of DRS on spin bowling? The role of the assistant coach? The redevelopment of Old Trafford and the return of Ashes cricket in 2013? Whatever your question, please email or telephone 01482 861848 by Friday 4^th January.

And if you can't tell your doosra from your teesra, watch here as Gary unravels the mystery for Radio 5 Live's Peter Allen.

Come and meet Gary on Wednesday 9th January at the Humberside Police Sports Club, Inglemire Lane, Hull HU6 8LE. 7.45pm. Everyone welcome! Annual membership: £15. Non-members: £5.