Yorkshire have put off making their toughest decision of the season so far - who to leave out when England captain Michael Vaughan joins the team for their Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy clash with Ireland in Belfast tomorrow.

Instead of dropping anyone for the trip, director of cricket David Byas has put the matter on ice by adding Vaughan to the squad of 12 who have gelled so well together in recent games.

Byas and captain Craig White will have to do some soul-searching because no batsman has played badly enough to deserve to be left out.

But Byas said: "Competition for places is a good thing and the presence of Michael will certainly improve the side."

Vaughan, allowed back into the fray by England boss Duncan Fletcher, one match earlier than originally planned, is itching for some proper cricket after being forced to spend the last couple of weeks in the nets.

It would have made even more sense if Fletcher had given Vaughan the green light to play for Yorkshire Phoenix yesterday in order to get the feel of things before the big match in Ireland which Yorkshire are certainly not taking for granted.

It was by skill, rather than the luck of the Irish, that Ireland last year pulled off a major shock in the C&G Trophy by beating champions Surrey at Clontarf by five wickets in a match spread over two days because of rain.

Seven of the Ireland side to play in that match are in tomorrow's squad of 13, including captain Jason Molins and Jeremy Bray who put on 103 in 20 overs for the first wicket against Surrey.

Ireland's first victory over a first class county came in 1997 when they were in Group 'D' in the Benson and Hedges Cup and beat Middlesex by 46 runs in Dublin but their greatest win of all, the one still talked about over a Guinness or three, came in 1969 when they annihilated the West Indies in Londonderry.

Fielding six of the team which had escaped defeat the previous day in the Lord's Test, the West Indies batted first on a damp and emerald green pitch and were fired out for 25, Ireland going on to win by nine wickets.

Yorkshire have met Ireland three times previously, the last time at Headingley in the first round of the NatWest Trophy in 1997 when Darren Gough claimed 7-27, including a hat-trick, as Ireland were routed for 53 and beaten by 196 runs.

Regardless of that result, Byas will not be allowing any complacency to set in and insists Yorkshire will be fully focussed throughout the match.

"There will be a lot of pride in the Ireland side and their fans will be urging them on," said Byas.

"We must make sure that we are on our best form and come home with our place in the second round secure."

The reward if Yorkshire win is a second round match at Headingley on May 17 against either Worcestershire or Scotland.

Yorkshire from: White, Vaughan, Wood, Jaques, McGrath, Lumb, Harvey, Dawood, Dawson, Bresnan, Hoggard, Kruis, Pyrah.

Ireland from: Molins, Bray, A Botha, J Botha, Cooke, Gillespie, Joyce, Johnson, McCallan, Mooney, McCourbrey, Morgan.

Updated: 08:56 Monday, May 02, 2005