All eyes on Headingley as Yorkshire CCC looks forward to T20 double

And on Wednesday it is over to the men as they embark on the opening fixture of a four-match series that serves as their run-in to next month’s World Cup.

Sam Gascoyne, the Yorkshire CCC head of marketing, believes that the double-header is a great chance to showcase what Headingley can offer.

“We’ve hosted the Pakistan men’s team quite a lot over the years and we’ve seen a really good turnout from Pakistan supporters,” he said.

“We know that a lot of our local communities have shown a real interest in both of these fixtures, with the men’s game selling out before it went on general sale, and a crowd that should be in excess of 10,000 for the women’s game, too.

“I don’t think that figure is a surprise given the appetite for women’s cricket in the region, and the way that the women’s game has grown in recent years.

"The last women’s international at Headingley was in 2018 (a 50-over contest against New Zealand), so it promises to be a great occasion.

“Clearly one of the big things for us - and one thing we’ve been doing a lot over the last few years - is working on how we can ensure Headingley is welcoming for everyone.

“This year, we’ve extended our alcohol-free areas for both of these games. We’ve looked at extra space for multi-faith facilities, that kind of thing.

"We’re always considering our F&B (food and beverage) options to ensure that we can cater for everyone, so there’s been a really conscious effort to ensure that everyone who comes to Headingley can have a fantastic experience.”

For Yorkshire, the matches take on added significance as there is no money-spinning Test in Leeds this year.

But interest has been high not only in the T20 double-header but also for the men’s one-day international against Australia on September 21, which also sold out quickly.

“It’s been well documented that without a Test match finances become a lot more difficult in that particular year,” said Gascoyne.

“However, we’ve been lucky in that what we have got this year has gone down really well.

“Obviously, Tests are important from a commercial perspective, but, equally, it’s also a great opportunity and a privilege to be able to give our loyal international cricket-following supporters, who come here year-in, year-out, their cricket fix at Headingley.

“Everyone knows that a game at the ground is always a big day - the atmosphere, everything that Headingley is renowned for, and so on.

“Therefore, that’s always one of the big things for us, being able to give the supporters who come to the ground something to look forward to and, hopefully, some fantastic memories to take away.”

There promises to be plenty of local interest in the men’s match, which starts at 6.30pm, with the England squad including the Yorkshire trio of Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook and Adil Rashid.

“We’ve got significant Yorkshire representation, so there’s another level of excitement with that,” added Gascoyne.

“It’s the first game of the series, the England players are back from the IPL, and then after this series it’s straight into the World Cup.

"It’s really meaningful cricket in terms of preparing for that competition.

"Both teams, I’m sure, will put on a good show.”

The women’s game, which starts at 1pm, will also have a Yorkshire feel, with the club having invited various local sports clubs plus a number of former Yorkshire women’s players.

“We’ve tried to frame the women’s game as a celebration of women’s sport,” said Gascoyne.

“We see it as a great opportunity to really celebrate everything that is great and good about women’s sport and the way that it’s been developing and the way it’s going to go in the next few years.

“With that in mind, we’ve invited some local sports clubs and we’ve got quite a significant number of our Yorkshire women’s past players coming as well.

“We’re trying to engage with our past players more generally; we’ve had 282 players that have played for Yorkshire women over the years, so there’s a really significant group of people there who have played a massive part in Yorkshire women’s cricket.”

One of those, of course, is Jane Powell, the Yorkshire president. No one has done more in recent times to spread the gospel of Yorkshire CCC.

“Jane is the prime example of everything that is good about the women’s game,” said Gascoyne.

“She’s the perfect ambassador, someone who obviously had an incredible career herself, and she spends a lot time visiting organisations, cricket clubs, communities all around Yorkshire on pretty much a daily basis, spreading the word of what cricket can do.”