YORKSHIRE begin their season next year on April 13 when they visit Chelmsford to take on Essex in the Frizzell County Championship.

Although Essex will prove tough opponents as Yorkshire start their push for promotion, Craig White and his team will take heart from knowing that this summer they completed a Championship double over them.

They will end the campaign more than five months' later on September 25 when they travel to Hove for their final totesport League game against Sussex.

Yorkshire's first Headingley match is the Championship encounter with Somerset on April 20-23 and the same teams meet at the venue on April 24 in the totesport League.

Yorkshire make a first ever visit to Ireland on May 3 in the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy with the winners at home to either Worcestershire or Scotland in the next round on May 17.

Lancashire's relegation means that Roses hostilities in the Championship will resume in Division Two, Lancashire playing at Headingley from June 8-11 with Yorkshire visiting Old Trafford on August 16-19. There will be further Roses clashes in the extended Twenty-20 Cup competition.

The Twenty-20 semi-finals and final will be staged on July 30 at The Oval.

Headingley does not stage an Ashes Test in 2005 but there will be two one-day internationals - against Bangladesh on June 26 and Australia on July 7.

Updated: 10:40 Friday, November 12, 2004