YORKSHIRE Phoenix open their totesport League programme against Surrey Lions at The Oval on Sunday with their Australian left-hander Phil Jaques the bookies' favourite to finish the season top of the Sky Sport Sixes League.

The New South Wales left-hander, who helped his State win the Pura Cup during the winter, plundered 366 runs in only nine appearances for Phoenix last season and Jaques is anxious to exceed that total this time now that he knows he is here for the full summer.

The Sky Sport Sixes League takes in totesport League matches as well at Twenty-20 Cup and Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy games. The winner will pocket £2,000 and the Sixes Trophy which was awarded last year to Nottinghamshire's Mark Ealham, who plundered 20 sixes from 359 balls.

Jaques is 8-1 favourite to land the trophy this time with Surrey's Alistair Brown on 8-1 and Ealham on 14-1 along with Gloucestershire's Craig Spearman, Warwickshire's Neil Carter and Somerset's Sanath Jayasuriya.

Big-hitters Andy Flintoff (Lancashire) and Kevin Pietersen (Hampshire) are long odds at 50-1 because of their England commitments.

Yorkshire missed out on promotion by two points in the totesport League last year and they have a tough start against Surrey who want to prove that their relegation in 2004 was a mere blip.

Yorkshire were leading the Division Two table at the end of June but then dipped badly and their late rally left them just one win short of moving into the top flight.

"We squandered an excellent chance of going up and we need to be more consistent if we are to make it this time," said director of cricket David Byas.

Ossett-born all-rounder Richard Pyrah did well in last season's final totesport League game against Durham at Scarborough when he took two wickets and then helped win the match with a cleanly struck 42. He is included in Yorkshire's squad for tomorrow's opener in which South African paceman Deon Kruis will make his competition debut for Phoenix.

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

It was another miserable day for Yorkshire at Chelmsford yesterday when they failed to take a wicket in the lone hour's play in their Championship match with Essex.

Captain Ronnie Irani and Andy Flower had added 67 when rain KO'd play.

Updated: 11:16 Saturday, April 16, 2005