BENEFIT years were made for players like Rich Pyrah - cricketers who have hardly got near international cricket yet give their heart and soul to their county.

There have been many beneficiaries at Yorkshire down the years, yet Pyrah must be right up there in the popularity stakes when it comes to those who have been honoured.

An all-rounder who has been associated with the county club since he was 12, his professional career has been far from a walk in the park. But he has still had plenty of days to remember.

A Roses hundred at Headingley in 2011, becoming the first Englishman to reach 100 wickets in Twenty20 cricket last year and taking the catch that sealed Championship glory are just a few of them.

Now the 32-year-old has been rightly honoured by the White Rose county, and, at his first event, a supporters’ dinner at Headingley, he announced that he aims to raise £3,000 for refurbishments at Leeds Children’s Hospital.

“When you are growing up playing, you never think that you are going to get to this stage in the game, but it’s a massive year for myself and my family,” he said.

“My first involvement with Yorkshire was at 12-years-old when I played a year young at under-13s level.

“It seems a long time ago now, and, although I don’t feel old, it makes me feel a bit older when you look back at things like that.”

Pyrah, very much a senior player at Headingley these days and with coaching aspirations in the future, has a big year ahead of him on and off the field. Juggling benefit years and furthering his game can’t be an easy task, but it is something he is confident of doing.

“I have spoken to Gerard Brophy about that. He had a good year (in 2011), but he enjoyed himself a bit too much I think,” continued Pyrah.

“You’ve got a find a balance. I’ve purposely not put too many events during the summer. I’ve got them before and after and just a couple in the season.

“I’ve tried to make sure I give myself a good chance with my cricket.”

Pyrah’s main benefit events are a corporate dinner at Headingley on March 6 with Tim Bresnan, ex-England football goalkeeper Nigel Martyn and rugby league star Danny Maguire, and a Ten Years On from the 2005 Ashes dinner at the Royal Armouries in Leeds on June 4.

The main event of 2015, however, has got to be Yorkshire’s County Championship title defence.

“We’re very passionate about going on and winning it again and starting to show a lot of consistency.” he added.

“Especially, we want to win it for Andrew Gale. We want him to lift the trophy, which we think he deserves.

“He was heartbroken not being able to lift the trophy last season.

“He’s our captain. His situation is all in the past now, it’s been sorted, but winning it for Galey would be very special.