AFTER four years of operational profits, the Yorkshire County Cricket Club will today announce a pre-tax deficit of £2m for 2010.

It marks a major turnaround at Headingley after recording a record-breaking annual turnover of £8.4m 12 months ago.

Charles Hartwell, the director of finance, says the figures were expected.

He said: “You can never compare 2010 with 2009 because 2009 was an Ashes year at Headingley and that is why we had the good figures.”

But today’s annual account report is a financial blow to the county, who have announced pre-tax profits since 2006.

The big difference for 2010 is being blamed on the poorly attended Test match between Pakistan and Australia in July. The game was staged at Headingley after Yorkshire elected to give up an England Test against Bangladesh in order to host the match.

As a result they had to bid for the game against other venues, instead of paying a set staging fee for the England game.

Hartwell accepts that Yorkshire now regret the decision to give up the England game, which was then moved to Old Trafford.

He added: “At the time we thought it was the right thing to do and the ECB supported us. With hindsight it was not the right decision. The costs of staging any Test match are very predictable because of staff costs, but the variable is the revenue. The club is extremely disappointed with the low turnout for the Test, when less than 25 per cent of the ground’s 16,000 seats were sold.”

“If we had staged the England game then I would like to think we would have broken even for 2010, or maybe even recorded a pre-tax profit.”

Yorkshire admit that they are unlikely to see a boost in their finances any time soon.

Headingley will not stage a Test match this year, with only one day of international cricket on the calendar.