“I was sort of expecting it,” said McGrath, recently announced as the successor to former Yorkshire teammate Chris Silverwood following his appointment as England fast-bowling coach. “It feels like a long time since I left Yorkshire already, and the first time I went back with Essex last year to Scarborough, we had a good win.

“It’s a good fixture to get first because Yorkshire will give us a nice marker of where we’re at. We’ve got a tough start with Lancashire at home, Hampshire away and then the return match against Yorkshire, so we’ll have plenty of focus in our preparations.”

England Lions will play two games in Derby, and one each in Leicester and Northampton, in a 50-over Tri-Series against India A and West Indies A, in addition to a first-class four-day match against India A at Worcester from July 16-19.

England Under 19s play two four-day “Youth Tests” against South Africa A at Scarborough and the Emirates Riverside followed by a three-match 50-over series which also takes in South Northumberland CC.

Key county dates

March 27-30: MCC Champion County match – MCC v Essex (Barbados)
April 1-3: First round of MCCU fixtures
April 13-16: First round of Specsavers County Championship matches
May 17 – June 7: Royal London One-Day Cup group matches
June 14: Royal London One-Day Cup Play-Offs
June 17-18: Royal London One-Day Cup Semi Finals
June 30: Royal London One-Day Cup Final (Lord’s)
September 24-27: Specsavers County Championship final round

Day-Night Specsavers County Championship matches

June 20-23: Hampshire v Yorkshire, Northamptonshire v Gloucestershire
June 25-28: Derbyshire v Leicestershire, Durham v Warwickshire, Essex v Somerset, Kent v Middlesex, Nottinghamshire v Worcestershire
July 22-25: Sussex v Glamorgan
August 19-22: Surrey v Lancashire