YORKSHIRE’S preparations for the new season are gathering pace after it was announced yesterday that 11 of their players have committed their futures to the county.

Nine first-teamers, including captain Andrew Gale and England’s Ashes bound allrounder Tim Bresnan, have penned deals, while 18-yearolds Moin Ashraf and Gurman Randhawa have accepted their first professional contracts.

Gale, 26, is one of seven to sign on until the end of the 2013 summer, with Bresnan, Jonny Bairstow, Oliver Hannon Dalby, Adam Lyth, Steve Patterson and Rich Pyrah the others.

Anthony McGrath and Joe Sayers have also both inked new two-year deals until the end of the 2012 campaign.

The announcement follows a fortnight after they brought former England swing bowler Ryan Sidebottom back to Headingley.

Yorkshire’s director of professional cricket Martyn Moxon said: “After a very promising season in 2010, we are all aware of the importance of keeping this exciting, young and talented group of players together.

“To have so many players committing their future to the club this early in the winter is excellent news, and gives us a tremendous platform on which to build ahead of next season.”

All players – apart from Sayers – will be pleased with their contributions for either club or country during the recent summer.

Sayers’ season was ended three months early after being struck down with the debilitating Post Viral Fatigue Syndrome.

Bresnan will leave for Australia on Friday, while Gale, Bairstow and Lyth are all members of the ECB’s Performance Programme tour Down Under between November 13 and December 16.

Ashraf, a tall pace bowler, burst onto the scene with devastating effect during the penultimate week of the summer against Nottinghamshire in the County Championship.

He then claimed 5-32 against Kent at Headingley in the final week.

Randhawa is a left arm spinner who won the club’s Academy player of the year award for the second season running.