Hodd wants the gloves for keeps

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Could this be the year that Andrew Hodd becomes Yorkshire’s first choice wicketkeeper?

The former Sussex gloveman joined the Club at the back end of last season and in a relatively short period of time he showed that he has the potential to become the county’s regular keeper. With Yorkshire keeper Johnny Bairstow trying to break into England set-up on a more regular basis, Hodd believes he has the credentials to play in all forms of the game in 2013.

"Coming to Yorkshire has given me a new lease of life," said Hodd, who has joined the rest of the Yorkshire squad on their pre-season tour of Barbados.

"This is a good club with a great ethos. From a personal point of view, all I can do is perform to my best every time I go out and play for the Club, whether that is in a first-class game or just a friendly. Johnny is a great player and when he does come back to Yorkshire he will probably play. We know how good he is with the bat and his glove work is up there too. All I can do is to work hard and be in a position to give the selectors an option.

With the influx of new recruits Liam Plunkett and Jack Brooks, Hodd feels the new additions coupled with the blend of youth and experience will give Yorkshire a new dynamic edge as the new season approaches.

“We are young and hungry,” added Hodd.

“Gaining promotion at the end of last season was vital for us and now we can showcase our talent back in the top flight.

"We are under no illusions how difficult it is going to be. There is a lot of quality in the first division and every game will be a major test for us. When you look around the dressing room, you realise the quality we have have and the bowling attack looks very strong. With Puds (Liam Plunkett) and Brooksy (Jack Brooks) coming into the squad we have options in our bowling and we are more than capable of taking 20 wickets against any opposition.”

As for limited over cricket, the Vikings have set the benchmark high in the past 12 months and the squad is regarded as one of the best in one-day cricket. This is something that excites Hodd.

“We love the limited overs stuff and all of us pride ourselves on improving our game in this area,” Hodd said, who is looking forward to being part of the Club’s defence of the T20 Barbados Cup, which starts on Saturday against Hampshire Royals at the 3Ws Oval.

“The boys tell me last year’s victory over here (Barbados) gave the team belief that they had the firepower to be a force in T20 cricket. The victory galvanised the team and gave the players big belief. We hope to repeat our efforts again this year, but we face a really tough game against Hampshire.”