TOM Kohler-Cadmore is relishing the extra responsibility he feels comes with being capped by Yorkshire.

The 24-year-old was handed his first-team cap by the White Rose in February.

“I was very surprised to receive it,” he said. “To get it in the off-season, it doesn’t happen too often.

“But I got hit in the head in the nets, and I think Martyn Moxon (director of cricket) just wanted to save a bit of money and get me a capped helmet now rather than rather an uncapped one!

“It’s a good thing to lead me into the season with, and I can’t wait to get started now.”

Kohler-Cadmore enjoyed an impressive 2018, performing well across all forms, also winning an England Lions call-up in both one-day and four-day cricket.

He moved from Worcestershire midway through 2017 back to the county for whom he played under-15s cricket, but he only earned a regular run in the County Championship team from mid-August of last year onwards. He was excellent, though, scoring 414 runs from six matches with two hundreds and two 50s.

Earlier in the season, he hit 472 runs from nine Royal London one-day Cup matches. His Vitality Blast campaign - 324 runs from 13 appearances - was less productive.

He assessed: “On the whole, I was very pleased with how last season went, but it was nice to cement my place in the Championship side towards the end of the season when I got my opportunity.

“I had a point to prove, and I showed them what I can do.

“It’s about kicking on from last year now and starting the season well.”

Kohler-Cadmore was struck on the head in the winter nets by young fast bowler Ed Barnes, a player he wants to help progress into the first team now he is a senior capped player.

“I want to establish myself and be the first name on the sheet for four-day cricket,” he said.

“But I feel it’s also an important thing for me to help speed up the development of the youngsters, to get Harry Brook to his own cap quickly for example.

“Ben Coad is my age, but I’ll probably have played triple the amount of first-team games as him.

“Being at Worcester was probably an advantage for me. I’ve had first-team experience for a lot longer. That means when you come in here, it’s not that second- to first-team jump. It’s Division Two to Division One, which is a smaller jump.

“If I can give someone a bit of help with the experiences I’ve had, I think that’s what the cap also represents - you have more responsibility now and are seen as a leader.

“It’s a great honour to have it, and it’s about, ‘How can I help improve this club?’.

“I want to help make this an environment where the youngsters feel comfortable and can come in and express themselves. If they can come in and perform straightaway like Coady did, that will make us stronger.”

This winter, a lot has been spoken about how Yorkshire have a significant amount of inexperienced players in their squad, which might make it hard for them to challenge for a third Championship title in six years.

Kohler-Cadmore, however, said: “We’re a team who when you match our names on the sheet to other teams, there’s not many you’d want to swap.”