Fast bowler Iain Wardlaw has been handed a Yorkshire contract until the end of the 2012 summer, and replaces club-mate James Lee on the professional staff at Headingley.

The 26-year-old impressed Andrew Gale on the back of his performances for Cleckheaton in the Bradford League, where the Yorkshire captain also learned his trade.

Wardlaw debuted in Sunday’s Friends Life t20 defeat against Nottinghamshire as a replacement for the ill Ryan Sidebottom, returning figures of 2-17 from 3.1 overs, including the wickets of Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal and Riki Wessels in the space of four balls.

Up to a fortnight ago, Wardlaw was sat behind a desk in the sales and accounts department of a graphic design company.

But he said: “I gave that up when I was offered a Yorkshire contract.

“My boss wasn’t too happy, but I’ve developed a good friendship over the years I’ve worked there.

“It’s been a dream of mine ever since I started playing cricket. So, if that opportunity arose, I was always going to grab it with everything I’ve got.

“I’ve been in and around the set-up at Yorkshire for the last six months or so, and it’s going well. I trained all winter with the guys. I was probably around for 60 per cent of the time by taking holidays from my work to train and play as much as I could.

“I know Galey from him playing at the same club as me at Cleckheaton, and he obviously keeps an eye out for players, which has worked out for me.

“He texted me one day and asked if I fancied a net. When I turned up, I was in with the firsts. I bowled pretty well, and it’s all gone from there.”

Understandably, Wardlaw, who has taken 68 wickets in two and a half seasons of Bradford League cricket, is hoping to continue his rise remarkable rise up cricket’s food chain.

“I’d like to push on and play Championship cricket,” he said.

“I’ve got a lot of work to do on my game, which hopefully I can do in the seconds over the next few weeks and months.

“Second-team cricket is where you put the work in. Hopefully it pays off and gets you a place in the first team.”

It remains to be seen whether or not Wardlaw, who has only played three second-team matches, retains his place for tomorrow’s must win 20-over clash with North Division high-flyers Leicestershire.

But he loved his first taste of county cricket. And, if it was anything to go by, Yorkshire fans will be seeing a lot more of him.

“I thought I bowled quite well, kept it tight and hit my key areas that we’d talked about before the game,” he added. “I normally play in front of 25 or so people at Cleckheaton, so it was comfortably the biggest crowd I’ve played in front of in my career. It was brilliant.”

Lee, meanwhile, is playing Minor Counties cricket for Suffolk as he looks to get his career back on track after being released.

The former England U19s seamer, 22, only played two Championship and four 40-over matches for Yorkshire, despite making his debut as a 17-year-old in 2006. He still plays for Cleckheaton.