England skipper Joe Root to sit out Yorkshire's Championship clash with Northants

Joe Root will not be in the Yorkshire line-up that will face Northants in the next round of the LV= Insurance County Championship at Headingley on Thursday.
Joe Root in action for Yorkshire in their recent draw with KentJoe Root in action for Yorkshire in their recent draw with Kent
Joe Root in action for Yorkshire in their recent draw with Kent

The England captain has played in all three of the White Rose's Group 3 matches to date, scoring a century in the win over Kent, but coach Andrew Gale has confirmed Root will be rested for the visit of David Ripley's men.

The England & Wales Cricket Board want their main man to be fresh for the start of the Test series against New Zealand in June, and have asked that he sit out the Northants encounter.

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“Rooty will come back against Kent (on May 6) and probably play against Glamorgan. That’s then likely to be our lot, I reckon,” said Gale.

Jofra Archer is pictured with England fast bowling coach Jon Lewis at Hove at the weekendJofra Archer is pictured with England fast bowling coach Jon Lewis at Hove at the weekend
Jofra Archer is pictured with England fast bowling coach Jon Lewis at Hove at the weekend

Gale, who said Root's place in the team will be taken by Will Fraine after his 186 for Yorkshire IIs last week, also confirmed seam bowlers Ben Coad and Matthew Fisher will miss the game against the County.

The pair were injured in the opening match of the season against Glamorgan, and although they are back in training, the Northants match will come too soon.

“They won’t be available,” said Gale. “Fish will go with the second team to get somewhere near his workloads and give him and us confidence he can get through a game.

“Coady will practice all week back at Headingley.

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“We’ll then see where we are at the end of the week. Hopefully we’ll have a few more seamers to choose from.”

Ex-Northants all-rounder David Willey is likely to play against his former club, while a definite starter will be England spinner Dom Bess, fresh from his match-winning six-wicket haul in Sunday's win over Sussex.

Meanwhile, Northants' batsmen could be in line for an unexpected meeting with England fast bowler Jofra Archer when the County take on Sussex in Group 3 early next month.

It was announced last week that Archer has been withdrawn from the 2021 Indian Premier League, with the ECB instead telling the player to regain full fitness after elbow and hand injuries by training with Sussex.

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The 26-year-old had been scheduled to play for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, but is now set to concentrate on regaining full fitness, and will turn out in the Championship for Sussex.

And there is a real chance he could be included for their clash with Northants at the County Ground on May 6.

A statement on the Sussex website read: "Archer returned to bowling this week with higher intensity, and the ECB and Sussex medical teams will continue to monitor his progress.

"Archer will now step up his training regime and will be in full training with Sussex.

"It is expected that he will return to cricket in the next fortnight if he can continue to bowl and prepare pain-free.

"The ECB will confirm which matches he is expected to play in due course."