YORKSHIRE will be boosted at the start of the new season in a month's time by having England strike bowler Matthew Hoggard back in their ranks for the first few matches.

But they will have to wait another three weeks or more before they can further strengthen their team by including England captain Michael Vaughan, who is being given an extended rest period after the pressures of leading his country in Zimbabwe and South Africa during the winter.

The earliest Yorkshire can expect Vaughan back is for the Championship match against Northamptonshire at Headingley starting on May 6.

They should then be able to hold on to him for the Championship game with Leicestershire at Grace Road followed by the totesport League clash against Durham at Riverside and the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy tie with either Scotland or Worcestershire - provided Yorkshire negotiate their first round match with Ireland in Belfast.

That could be the end of Vaughan and Hoggard's involvement with Yorkshire for quite some time because they will then be back with England for the two-Test series against Bangladesh followed by the battle for the Ashes.

If Vaughan does make it for the Northamptonshire game, it will be his first Championship appearance since playing against the same opponents at Northampton in May, 2003, when he hit 103 and an unbeaten 64 in a game which Yorkshire could still only draw.

The inclusion of Hoggard for the opening Championship match of the season against Essex at Chelmsford will bolster the attack in a game likely to be dominated by seam.

Last summer, Yorkshire completed their only double of the season on a spinners' track at Chelmsford but that was in June when the pitches were hardening up. This time, Yorkshire will be looking to outgun Essex's top pace pair of Tykes' exile Darren Gough, recently appointed vice-captain, and Alex Tudor, newly signed from Surrey.

Updated: 09:41 Thursday, March 17, 2005