YORKSHIRE chief executive Mark Arthur has hailed the county's record breakers and has compared them to Brian Close's great team of the 1960s.

The current White Rose squad secured back-to-back LV= County Championship titles in their recent match against Middlesex before, on Thursday, beating Hampshire to seal a record points haul of 265 in Division One cricket.

They are one win away from a season's haul of 11, the most by any team since two-division cricket was introduced in 2000.

They are also just two points away from a record points haul in either division ahead of Tuesday's season-ending home clash with Sussex.

But they still have some way to go to match the late, great Close and his team, who won six Championship titles between 1960 and 1968 – including back-to-back crowns in 1967 and 1968.

Arthur, however, insists this is a "golden era for Yorkshire Cricket".

The former Nottinghamshire CEO said: "It's the first time we've retained it since the mid-sixties, when there was a great set of players playing. I think these players should be up there alongside them.

"To do it with so many players missing to the England calls, especially at the beginning of the season when six guys were out in the Caribbean, Andrew Gale was suspended and Ryan Sidebottom out with a torn hamstring, it's absolutely remarkable.

"The 1960s, we can all virtually name the team. Some of the great teams in history, whatever sport it may be, you can name those players. They are household names.

"When history gets written in a few years' time, I think this lot will also be bracketed with the greats of the sixties.

"I said last year I think this is a golden era for Yorkshire Cricket. The foundations have been laid for success – and while you can't guarantee success because of the vagaries of sport, I do genuinely believe the structure is there and is right.

"The players now know how to win. Knowing how to win, as I'm sure the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Brian Clough would tell you, is almost as important as having the ability to win."

Meanwhile, Yorkshire have released a trio of fringe players in fast bowler Moin Ashraf, wicketkeeper-batsman Dan Hodgson and former England under-19s opening batsman Jonny Tattersall.

While Tattersall only played one List A match in 2013, Ashraf and Northallerton-born Hodgson have struggled to nail down regular first-team cricket since debuting in 2010 and 2012 respectively.

Both men played significant roles in Yorkshire's successful season of Twenty20 in 2012, including at the Champions League.

Ashraf had a trial with Hampshire last month, while Hodgson spent a brief time on loan with Derbyshire last year.

Hodgson is the only one to have played any first-team cricket in 2015, the friendly against Leeds/Bradford MCC Universities in April.

In an open letter to Yorkshire's supporters, Ashraf said: "To have played for this wonderful club since I was 15 has been both an honour and a privilege. I have made a lot of memories here that I will cherish.

"The supporters have always been very kind to me. When I have performed well, they have heaped praise on me, but when I've underperformed, they were the first to encourage.

"However, this is life. I leave with my head held high, knowing that I tried everything I could to be successful. For numerous reasons, it did not work out."