JACK BROOKS is keen for a more regular role in Yorkshire’s NatWest T20 Blast team, starting tonight, although the England Lions fast bowler accepts that playing every game is unrealistic.

Yorkshire kick off their North Division campaign under the new Headingley lights (7pm) against a Derbyshire side boasting South Africa Test captain Hashim Amla as an overseas player.

Brooks only played three 20-over matches last season without taking a wicket as the White Rose hierarchy opted to rest him for their LV= County Championship title run-in.

It was a decision which reaped rewards as, although Yorkshire failed to qualify out of their T20 group, Brooks finished the four-day season with 68 wickets, the second highest tally in division one.

The 30-year-old has been named in a 13-man squad for tonight’s clash - the first of 14 group fixtures.

“I want to play all forms because Twenty20 is brilliant. The crowds are great, and you can make a name for yourself,” said Brooks, one of only two Yorkshire bowlers with a Twenty20 five-wicket haul to his name alongside Rich Pyrah.

“I did quite well the year before and was up there, but last year I hadn’t got any wickets after three games.

“I didn’t bowl badly, but results didn’t go our way.

“Jason Gillespie and Andrew Gale made a decision that because of my Championship form, and with other guys doing well in Twenty20 like Ollie Robinson, there wasn’t a massive need for me to play.

“I could have played, but they went with others instead, and they gave it a good go.

“It allowed me to put my feet up and rest ahead of a Championship game instead of charging in on a Friday. It worked out well.

“You just can’t be expected to play every game all the time. And the way the team was made up for Twenty20, it didn’t mean I had to play. It helped me get through the season.

“In previous years at Northants, where I’d have a heavy workload, Twenty20 would be the time when I’d break down because of the overload on my body.”

Yorkshire have only reached Twenty20 Finals Day once in 12 years, and the Vikings are promising a new-look attacking brand of cricket as they bid to improve that statistic.

“For three hours, I guarantee that our Yorkshire supporters are going to be entertained by their club,” said coach Jason Gillespie.

“I encourage everyone to come down, bring the kids, get some autographs with the players and some selfies. We are in the entertainment industry, and we have an obligation to entertain the public.

“I want people leaving Headingley saying ‘you know what, I’ve had a great time watching Yorkshire play cricket. They may or may not have won, but you know what, I’ve had a great time. I really enjoyed that’.”

Brooks added: “We’ve got good plans, and we’re a well drilled, attacking side. We’ll have to see, but if we can get off to a good start, I’m confident we’ll get out of the group.

“Derby have got some good overseas players as well, and they are close rivals, so it should be a good spectacle under the Headingley lights.”

Yorkshire (v Derbyshire): Gale (capt), Bairstow (wkt), Brooks, Bresnan, Fisher, Hodd, Leaning, Lees, Patterson, Plunkett, Pyrah, Rashid, Rhodes.