Yorkshire have begun the defence of their County Championship title with a four-day match at Worcestershire. Cricket writer Graham Hardcastle assesses their prospects as they look to retain their crown.

THIS summer is likely to prove one of the most difficult to predict in terms of on-field success for Yorkshire.

The reigning champions have all bases covered in their squad as they attempt to retain the LV=County Championship title they claimed last summer, with their defence having begun with the start of a four-day game at Worcestershire’s New Road ground on Sunday.

It is just unfortunate that the squad has been severely hit by international call-ups during the first month of the season.

Coach Jason Gillespie has to deal with the loss of Jonny Bairstow, Gary Ballance, Adam Lyth, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid and Joe Root for the first three matches because of England’s tour to the West Indies.

And if that wasn’t tough enough, he has also had to find a replacement batsman for captain Andrew Gale for the Worcestershire opener.

Gale is serving the last match of his ECB ban for improper conduct following last September’s infamous spat with Lancashire’s Ashwell Prince during the Roses clash.

Alex Lees has taken over the captaincy, having also assumed leadership duties during the champion county fixture in Abu Dhabi, which Yorkshire won by nine wickets against a strong MCC side, including England Test captain Alastair Cook. However, the disruption is far from ideal at the start of the season.

Last year, this writer had a few quid on Yorkshire for Championship glory as well as them for the Royal London One-Day Cup title.

This season, I am not so sure. I still fancy Yorkshire for a limited overs title, although haven’t yet 100 per cent decided which one. 

They have the firepower to win either or even both - Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell combining in Twenty20 is a mouth-watering prospect - with signs looking good in the Emirates last month.

Anybody who saw Yorkshire’s inside the dressing room video on their website after winning the T20 competition out there will know they are determined to adopt a far more aggressive style of play against the white ball this summer.

In terms of four-day success, though, it is far harder to predict. 

The first month will be crucial. It would be a major surprise to see six players unavailable all at once due to home internationals, so there will be some breathing space from May onwards.

But they have to get over matches against Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire before the end of April, and results in those could have a massive bearing on the rest of the campaign.

Even without those aforementioned players, there remains a significant amount of experience in the squad.

The pace bowling attack is unaffected. Jack Brooks was the second leading wicket-taker in Division One in 2014 with 68, while Ryan Sidebottom, Steve Patterson and Tim Bresnan were all key contributors.

Andrew Hodd and Rich Pyrah are valuable squad members who are set to play prominent roles early on at least, while India Test batsman Cheteshwar Pujara, 27, will fill the early-season overseas duties.

Australian Finch will take over from him from late May through until late August before Kane Williamson returns to wrap up the season.

The White Rose remain the favourites to retain their crown, and the bookies are more often right than wrong. I am inclined to back Yorkshire again, but not with as much conviction as last year.

A lot depends on how the youngsters stand up to first-team cricket or, in Jack Leaning’s case, added responsibility.

Leaning, 21, was superb in his breakthrough year with 465 runs from ten Championship matches added to a maiden one-day century against Essex at Scarborough.

The signs were good for him on pre-season tour, as they were for 20-year-old all-rounder Will Rhodes, who made his first-class debut in the MCC match with three cheap wickets and 61. Rhodes is opening the batting in place of Lyth at New Road.

Left-arm spinner Karl Carver, 19, also debuted in the Championship, and he is in the side that is currently taking on Worcestershire, deputising for Rashid now that Azeem Rafiq is no longer on the staff.

And then there is 17-year-old fast bowler Matthew Fisher, a former winner at The Northern Echo’s Local Heroes Awards and a player who became the youngest post-war county cricketer at 15 years and 212 days when he made a one-day appearance against Leicestershire in 2013.

The Yorkshire hierarchy believe this lad has the world at his feet.

He has already impressed at England under-19s level, has played five List A matches and is within a whisker of making his Championship debut.

It may be tougher than last year, but it is still realistic to expect more silverware at Headingley come the end of September.