It’s a knockout for Yorkshire ace Gerard Brophy as a semi-final spot looms (From York Press)

It’s a knockout for Yorkshire ace Gerard Brophy as a semi-final spot looms

10:01am Monday 30th August 2010 in

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Gerard Brophy says Yorkshire are treating tomorrow’s Clydesdale Bank 40 group match against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road as a knockout tie.

Brophy and company know a win under lights against his former team would see the Tykes top Group ‘B’, and confirm a place in the last four as a result.

But the 34-year-old South African, who was last week honoured by Yorkshire with a benefit year in 2011, also believes nine wins out of ten should have already seen them secure their place in the semi-finals.

He said: “I am one of a number of players here who have not won anything, so we are incredibly focused on the CB40 competition.

“The game at Northamptonshire is effectively like a quarter-final for us. But I think winning nine games out of ten should have been enough to qualify us already.

“I think the ECB need to have a rethink about the scoring system. If you draw because of rain you get one point, but if you win you only get two. I am not sure that is the right way to score.”

Brophy, a former captain of the South Africa under-17s team, swapped Wantage Road for Headingley in 2006. And he has proved himself to be a valuable member of the club’s staff.

He lost his place in the four-day side at the start of the season to Jonny Bairstow, but the odd injury and international call-up has seen him play the last six Championship matches as a ’keeper with Bairstow playing as a batsman.

Brophy is out of contract at the end of next summer, but he said: “I can play on for a while yet.”

On the benefit, he added: “It was probably one of the proudest moments of my career.”

Tim Bresnan and Ajmal Shahzad are both available for tomorrow’s match. Both men are expected to be named in the England squad for the forthcoming one-day and Twenty20 internationals against Pakistan. The first Twenty20 match is at Cardiff on Sunday.