SESSAY left-armer Karl Carver is on the right track to becoming Yorkshire’s number two spin option behind England’s Adil Rashid.

Carver has enjoyed an encouraging pre-season both at home and abroad, although he has been denied the opportunity for further match action this week with today's two-day friendly at Derbyshire cancelled due to a waterlogged pitch.

The 20-year-old spent the majority of February training in India before returning impressive performances with both red and white ball on Yorkshire’s pre-season tour of the UAE last month.

Carver took five wickets in two Twenty20s as the Vikings won the Emirates Airline competition in Dubai, beating the MCC and Lancashire.

He then took six wickets in 55.2 overs in the four-day champion county defeat against the MCC in Abu Dhabi, dismissing Ian Bell twice.

Last year, Carver played the first two County Championship matches of the season as a stand-in for Rashid.

But unfortunately for him, Jason Gillespie and the rest of the management team then opted to recruit veteran off-spinner James Middlebrook and allow Carver more time to develop in second-team cricket.

Now, things look set to be different.

Director of cricket Martyn Moxon recently admitted that Middlebrook would almost certainly not return to Headingley, while coach Gillespie was encouraged by Carver’s performances in the Middle East last month.

“He accounted for himself very well,” said Gillespie.

“To come in and be a frontline spinner against a batting line-up as strong as the MCC’s, to be the main man, was a big ask of a young finger spinner in only his fourth first-class game.

“He’s bowled 55 overs, which by definition is a fantastic opportunity to have a good, long bowl.

“There will be more opportunities for Karl through the rest of pre-season because Adil is with England and won’t have much cricket before the first Championship game.

“That will give Karl plenty of opportunity to put his name up for selection.”

Carver will not start the season if, as expected, Rashid is made available by England immediately after World T20 duty.

But he will almost certainly be given a good run of first-team games later this summer.

Rashid has likely England limited overs commitments through late June and early July and then again in late August and early September, and he could yet break into England’s Test team.

One hugely impressive thing about Carver’s performances in the UAE was his ability to deal with players attacking him, as Bell did.

The England Test man tried and succeeded to hit him over the top, but Carver stuck to his guns and got him caught in the ring in each innings trying to attack once too often.

“His character is very sound,” added Gillespie.

“What’s been most pleasing about Karl is the learning. He’s made improvements from last year.

“You fast-forward a year, and we’re seeing a much more confident and improved young man.

“Is he the finished article? Absolutely not. But we don’t know if anyone ever is.

“We don’t want to put too much pressure on him. We want him to continue to learn about the art of bowling spin and get lots of overs under his belt so that he can find a way of being successful.”

* JOE ROOT will be available for Yorkshire’s County Championship matches against Nottinghamshire and Surrey ahead of England’s Test series against Sri Lanka next month.

The England batting star will be rested for the opening round against Hampshire at Headingley, starting on April 17. He will then face Notts at Trent Bridge on May 1 before returning to Headingley a week later for the clash with Surrey.

Yorkshire have been given permission to field Jonny Bairstow, Gary Ballance, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid and David Willey whenever they see fit.