Dan Hodgson can reflect on an eventful ten months as a Yorkshire cricketer.

The highly-rated wicketkeeper batsman has broken into his county’s 40-over team, helped to run out Sachin Tendulkar at the Champions League t20, played first-class cricket in Zimbabwe and scored two hundreds in second XI cricket already this summer.

While playing for the first time in the White Rose first team on Sunday, he also hammered 76 off 55 balls batting at three in the Yorkshire Bank 40 defeat against Gloucestershire at Bristol.

Now the 23-year-old from Northallerton, who played against Gloucester as a specialist batsman, is keen to continue his notable rise, starting with tomorrow’s YB40 clash with Middlesex at Headingley.

“I was delighted to get a score in my first game for the ones this season – it was a good start,” he said as Yorkshire search for their second win in this competition. “Hopefully I get another game.

“A win would be nice, which we could do with really. If one of the young lads can put in a match-winning performance, it gives us a lot more belief. Middlesex are a good side, and it will be a tough game. But hopefully we can turn them over.”

Hodgson’s innings against the Gladiators, which included nine fours and two sixes, was a big indicator that his game, especially his batting, has come on leaps and bounds in recent months.

He has scored 626 runs from 14 second XI matches this season, including two hundreds, either opening the batting or batting at three.

He credits his improvement largely to a winter spent in Zimbabwe playing first-class cricket for the Mountaineers team, for whom he opened the batting.

“Jason Gillespie put me in touch with Gary Brent, the Mountaineers coach, and they looked after me well. It’s a great place, and I really enjoyed it,” he continued.

“When I started speaking to Gary, he said they needed an opening batsman and asked me whether I’d like to do it. I said ‘for sure’. Batting at the top of the order against the new ball, it puts you in a good position to bat in any spot if you do well.

“Opening the batting helped me to develop my game. It also helped me to understand my game. There wasn’t a batting coach as such, so I had to think for myself a bit more and work out what my options are.”

Hodgson travelled to Zimbabwe straight from the Champions League in South Africa in October, where Yorkshire captain Andrew Gale described him as “probably our man of the tournament” following his excellent glove work and a crucial 18 off 21 balls in a qualifying win over UVA Next.

“I was a bit nervous leaving the lads in South Africa and going over to Zimbabwe, but it turned out to be a great move for me,” he added.

“It was unexpected for me to go out and play at the Champions League, but it was a great bonus. I loved every minute of it.”