The announcement last weekend that Gareth Batty had been included in the England Test squad for the first time was warmly welcomed by all those cricket fans that like to see Yorkshireman recognised by their country.

But they must also have been left wondering why it is that so many of the spinners who have learned their trade at the Yorkshire Academy of Cricket are forced to move elsewhere to establish themselves?

Bradford-born Batty began his Yorkshire career by being awarded a scholarship as a 15-year-old in 1993 and he went on to graduate from the Yorkshire Academy at Park Avenue before given his first team debut in a non-Championship Roses match at Headingley in 1997.

By that time he had a wealth of experience at junior levels already under his belt, including regularly representing England schools and captaining the England Under-17s squad that won the International Youth Tournament in Holland in 1995.

Yet, like brother and fellow off-spinner Jeremy before him, Yorkshire decided to release him and Gareth went to Surrey before moving on to Worcestershire - the final home of so many Bradford-born players - at the start of last season.

When Batty got his England call-up, he had already taken 38 first-class wickets for Worcestershire this season, which is almost twice as many as Yorkshire's two off-spinners, Richard Dawson and Andy Gray, between them.

Another off-spinner-batsman that Yorkshire must regret releasing is James Middlebrook who joined Essex last season and only a few weeks ago received his county cap on the recommendation of coach Graham Gooch.

Middlebrook would have been released at the end of the 2000 season but he was kept on for another year after out-bowling Shane Warne in the final game at Southampton when he weighed in with match figures of ten for 170 and Yorkshire beat Hampshire by 72 runs off the last possible ball.

Left-arm spinner Ian Fisher also took four wickets in that game but he too was let go at the end of 2001 and is now in his second season with Gloucestershire.

It will have cost Yorkshire a total of around £90,000 to bring these three bowlers through the Academy and then to go on and lose them seems like a lot of money thrown away, particularly as both Dawson and Gray are presently struggling to establish themselves.

Dawson, too, came up through the Academy and was pounced on by England just as soon as he started taking wickets for Yorkshire after leaving Exeter University, but he has gone backwards and his future seems less secure than either Middlebrook or Batty's.

Yorkshire once again have some outstanding young spinners at the Academy - including Mark Lawson and York CC's Gillamoor-born Dan Broadbent - and they should think twice from now on before letting any of them go.

Updated: 11:19 Saturday, August 16, 2003