Gerard Brophy leaves Yorkshire (From York Press)

Gerard Brophy leaves Yorkshire County Cricket Club

11:32am Tuesday 14th August 2012 in Sport By Graham Hardcastle

Wicketkeeper Gerard Brophy has left Yorkshire with immediate effect after seven years with the county.

Sussex wicketkeeper Andrew Hodd has been drafted in on loan for the rest of the LV= County Championship campaign, starting with tomorrow’s key match against promotion rivals Derbyshire at Headingley. Dan Hodgson will continue to take the gloves in 40-over cricket.

It will be Hodd’s first appearance in a Championship match since July of last year.

Brophy and Yorkshire have parted ways after the 36-year-old South African-born player was informed he would not be offered a contract beyond this summer.

He is now expected to retire from the game having made his debut in 1996.

“I’m disappointed to be leaving Yorkshire after seven great years.” said the former Northamptonshire man, whose last game for Yorkshire was ironically against his former county in a Clydesdale Bank 40 match last week. “I’ve had 20 years playing cricket, and all good things must come to an end. I wish the club well in the future.”

Yorkshire now face the prospect of fielding different wicketkeepers in three forms of the game during the next five weeks.

Hodd, 28 and out of contract at Sussex this winter, has been signed to play in the Championship when Jonny Bairstow is on England duty.

Bairstow will take the gloves for next Saturday’s t20 Finals Day at Cardiff, while Hodgson will gain experience in the remaining three CB40 matches.

Andrew Gale, meanwhile, says he is delighted with Yorkshire’s position in the Championship promotion race even though they do not occupy one of division two’s top two spots going into their last four matches.

Derbyshire currently lead the way by 26 points having played one match fewer than their rivals, while Hampshire lie second on 120 with Yorkshire in third on the same total.

Hampshire are higher in the table by virtue of having one more win, the first tiebreaker should teams be level on points.

“With the weather that we’ve had, I’d have bitten your hand off to be where we are now,” said Gale. “If we’d had decent weather, I reckon we’d be past Derby. We’d have won a couple more games at least.

“We’ve had a week away from Championship cricket, and the results have probably gone for us while we haven’t been playing. It’s still wide open. It’s all to play for.

“It’s in our hands now, and we’ve got a hell of chance. We are still in with a realistic chance of two trophies, three mathematically.

“That is exactly where you want to be.”